24 Jul 2020 | 19:58 UTC — Houston
US coal-fired power generation totals 46.5 TWh in May, up 14.6% on month: EIA
By Olivia Kalb
Highlights
Coal produces 15.3% power generation in May
Monthly renewable generation reaches seven-year peak
Houston — US coal-fired power generation totaled 46.5 TWh in May, up 14.6% from April, US Energy Information Administration data showed July 24.
It was the first month-on-month increase in seven months and was the second-lowest level of monthly coal generation since S&P Global Platts data on it began in 2011. Year on year, generation declined 35.4%
From the five-year average of about 87.2 TWh in May, generation was at a 46.7% deficit this year.
Out of the total power generation, coal took a 15.3% share, up 0.5 percentage point from April's share. It was the second-lowest level of generation share in nine years, according to available data.
Coal capacity averaged 28.4% in May, up from 25.5% in the previous month and down from 42.1% year on year.
Natural gas contributed over 116 TWh in May, up 7.5% from the month before and up 0.7% from the year-ago month.
Gas took a 38.3% share of power generation, down slightly from 39.3% in April.
From the five-year average of over 108 TWh in May, gas was up 7.3%.
The capacity factor for gas plants was 48.2% in May, compared with 47.3% in the previous month and 50.8% in the year-ago month.
Total renewable generation, including hydro, was at 73.5 TWh, up 14.4% month on month and up 4.7% from the year-ago month.
Generation in May was at a seven-year peak, according to available data.
Renewables produced 24.2% of the total generation in May, up from 23.4% in the previous month and a seven-year high.
Hydro produced 29.5 TWh in May, up 41.9% month on month but down 2% from the year-ago month. Utility solar produced 9.7 TWh, up 21.6% from the previous month and up 33.6% from the year-ago month. Wind produced 28.2 TWh, down 4.6% from April and up 6.4% from the year-ago month.
While hydro took 9.7% of the generation, solar made up 3.2% and wind made 9.3%.
Capacity factors for renewables in May were 35.4% for wind, down month on month from 38.7%; 32.3% for solar, up from 28.2%; and 49.7% for hydro, up from 36.2%