Gas Pushes Half Of U.S. Power, Leaving Little For Coal

Hotter weather, low natural gas prices and new natural gas power plants combined to push gas toward the 50 percent mark in U.S. electricity generation over the summer.

For many years, coal was in that dominant position. It last came close in 2008, but has steadily fallen since, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Last year, coal slid to just 16 percent of U.S. electricity generation.

States surrounding West Virginia reflect that shift from coal to gas. West Virginia is an outlier, relying on coal for 88 percent of its electricity, the most of any state.

Appalachian Power, one of the state’s largest utilities, said recently it was considering a conversion of two of its West Virginia power plants from coal to gas.