U.S. Coal Use Falls 29 Percent

Power plants in America used 739 million short tons of coal last year, down from a peak of 1.045 billion short tons in 2007, informed a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Demand tanked in nearly every state; Pennsylvania’s coal consumption fell by as much as 44 percent. A drop in natural gas prices as well as significant uptake in renewable energy contributed to this decline, said the report.

Note: Values reflect coal receipts by electric power plants rather than coal consumption. Differences in receipts and consumption are relatively small and attributable to changes in stockpile levels.

Note: Idaho, Vermont, Rhode Island, and District of Columbia have no coal consumption in the power sector.

For a deeper dive: E&E News, Beckley Register-Herald, Platts

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