US coal-fired power generation totals 65.5 TWh in June, hitting seven-month high: EIA

Houston — US coal-fired power generation totaled 65.5 TWh in June, up 40.8% from May, Energy Information Administration data showed Aug. 25.

It was the highest level of coal-fired generation since December 2019, and it produced 18.6% of total US power generation in July, the highest level since January.

Year on year, generation declined 16.7%.

From the five-year average of about 106 TWh in June, generation was at a 38.1% deficit this year.

Coal capacity averaged 41.4% in June, up from 28.5% in the previous month and down from 47.4% year on year. Additionally, coal capacity hit a seven-month high.

Natural gas contributed 143 TWh in June, up 23.2% the month before and up 4.7% from the year-ago month. Monthly gas power generation reached a 10-month high, while producing 40.6% of total US power generation, which also was a nine-month high.

From the five-year average of over 128 TWh in June, gas was up 12.3%.

The capacity factor for gas plants was 59.6% in June, compared with 48.2% in the previous month and 62.9% from the year-ago month. Capacity also reached a 10-month high.

Total renewable generation, including hydro, was about 74 TWh, the highest it has ever been according to S&P Global Platts available data. From May, renewable generation rose 0.7%, while year on year it jumped 15%.

Renewables produced 21% of total generation in June, down from a six-year peak of 24.2% in May.

Hydro produced 28.6 TWh in June, down 2.9% month on month and up 8.7% from the year-ago month. Utility solar produced 9.5 TWh, down 2.8% from the previous month and up 15.2% from the year-ago month. Wind produced 30.1 TWh, up 7% from May and up 28.8% from the year-ago month.

While hydro took 8.1% of generation, solar made up 2.7% and wind made 8.5%.

Capacity factors for renewables in June were 38.9% for wind, down from 35.4% month on month, 32.2% for solar, flat from May, and 49.8% for hydro, flat month on month.