U.S. Energy Information Administration Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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

For many years, coal was in that dominant position. It last came close in 2008, but has steadily fallen since.

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.

W.Va. Coal Production Fell During Baltimore Port Closure

Baltimore is a major coal export terminal, and much of that tonnage originates in northern West Virginia.

West Virginia produced 9 percent less coal from April to June than it did the previous year.

The period coincides with the closure of the Port of Baltimore from March to May, after a container ship struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Baltimore is a major coal export terminal, and much of that tonnage originates in northern West Virginia.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, northern West Virginia production fell 14 percent in the second quarter, versus 3 percent in southern West Virginia.

Production fell across Appalachia during the quarter, particularly in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

Wind, Solar Leave Coal In The Dust So Far This Year, Data Show

Renewables outpaced coal in the first five months of the year, growing a gap that began last year.

By the end of May last year, wind and solar barely edged out coal in the nation’s electricity mix.

The gap has grown wider this year, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Wind and solar combined generated 288 million megawatt hours from January to May, 10 percent more than coal.

For the first five months of 2023, wind and solar generated 253 million megawatt hours, 1.5 percent more than coal.

Wind alone surpassed coal in March and April. It’s typical for coal generation to drop during those months because plant maintenance tends to occur between winter and summer.

The federal agency forecasts that wind and solar generation will surpass coal for all of 2024.

For now, natural gas remains the nation’s dominant fuel for electricity. Renewables, meanwhile, especially solar, are growing rapidly.

The EIA forecasts a 75 percent increase in solar generation from 2023 to 2025 and an 11 percent increase in wind generation. It forecasts coal generation to decline 18 percent.

U.S. Natural Gas Production Climbs High in 2015

Natural gas production is up according to new figures just released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Even in the face of low natural gas…

Natural gas production is up according to new figures just released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Even in the face of low natural gas prices, production in the country increased 5 percent from 2014 to reach a record high in 2015 (79 billion cubic feet per day). The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma, and North Dakota offset production declines in much of the rest of the United States. 35 percent of the country’s gas production came from these states. Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia lead the pack increasing production by 1.5 billion, 1.4 billion, and .8 billion cubic feet per day, respectively.

The administration predicts gas production growth will slow in 2016, but the long term forecast for the industry is that production will increase. That’s because prices are predicted to rise, industrial demand is expected to grow, and liquefied natural gas exports are expected to increase.