This year, for the first time ever, natural gas is set to unseat coal as the major source of fuel for electricity generation in the US, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (pdf).

Trump spent a lot of time this fall trying to convince voters in coal-producing states like Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Illinois that he would bring jobs back to their communities.

It used to cost less to generate one unit of electricity from coal than from natural gas. That is no longer the case.

According to The Economist (paywall), 94 coal-fired power plants closed in 2015 and 41 closed in 2016. When future regulation costs are factored in, energy companies are unlikely to invest in new coal plants.

 

 

Posted in: Infographic of the day