The US Energy Information Administration Tuesday lowered its estimates for coal-fired electricity generation in 2014-2015, while natural gas and renewables were revised higher.
The EIA's updated forecasts were included in its September Short Term Energy Outlook.
Coal-fired electricity generation for all sectors, including residential, commercial, and industrial, was revised 0.8% lower to 4.502 million MWh/d from 4.541 million MWh/d in 2014, and 0.6% lower to 4.374 million MWh/d from 4.398 million MWh/d in 2015.
Natural gas-fired generation was revised 0.4% higher to 2.995 million MWh/d in 2014, and 0.3% higher to 3.112 MWh/d in 2015.
"Other renewables" generation, which includes wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar generation, was taken 1% higher to 759,000 MWh/d in 2014, and raised 0.9% higher to 811,000 MWh/d in 2015.
ONLY TWO COAL PLANTS TO COME ONLINE IN 2014
According to preliminary data, power generators added 4.35 GW of new capacity during the first half of 2014, but no coal-fired capacity was completed over the period, compared to 1.51 GW in 2013, EIA said.
Two coal plants with a total capacity of 0.58 GW are scheduled to begin operations this year, including the Kemper integrated gasification combined-cycle plant in Mississippi and a small conventional steam lignite coal plant in North Dakota.
In sharp contrast, natural gas combined-cycle plants made up more than 50% of the capacity additions, while solar plants contributed more than a quarter and wind plants around one-sixth, according to the EIA data.
"So far this year, the US power industry has added 675 megawatts of new wind power capacity," EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski said in a statement. "Wind power additions are expected to increase later this year to a total of about 5.6 gigawatts of new generating capacity for the year, four times the amount in 2013."
FLORIDA LEADS CAPACITY BUILDOUT
Florida added the most capacity -- 1,210 MW -- all of it natural gas combined-cycle capacity in the first half of 2014, the report said.
California, with the second-most additions, added another 1,100 MW, of which about 77% was solar and 21% wind, with the remaining additions from natural gas and other sources, EIA said.
Utah and Texas combined for another 1,000 MW, nearly all of it natural gas combined-cycle capacity with some solar and wind capacity in Texas, it said.
EIA estimated that at least 0.95 GW of coal-fired capacity has been retired so far this year, adding a much large number of coal plants are expected to retire during 2015.
