US natural gas production is expected to increase 6 percent in 2019 as gas replaces coal as the preferred fuel for many electric utility companies, the Energy Information Administration said in a report on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2019) US natural gas production is expected to increase 6 percent in 2019 as gas replaces coal as the preferred fuel for many electric utility companies, the Energy Information Administration said in a report on Tuesday."Gas-fired electricity generation in the United States will increase by 6 percent in 2019 and by 2 percent in 2020," the report said.
Electricity generation from wind will increase by 6 percent in 2019 and by 14 percent in 2020, the report added.
In addition, the report predicted a 15 percent drop for electricity produced with coal in 2019, followed by a 9 percent decline in 2020.
The trends in projected generation reflect changes in the mix of generating capacity.
In the mid-Atlantic region, for example, the electricity industry has added more than 12 gigawatts (GW) of new natural gas-fired generating capacity since the beginning of 2018, an increase of 17 percent, while 6 GW of coal-fired generation capacity was retired during the same period, according to the report.
The shift from coal to gas by many US utilities is often credited with reducing emissions of greenhouse gases that are believed responsible for global warming.
