US coal-fired power generation totals 59.8 TWh in October, down 12.5% on month: EIA

Houston — US coal-fired power generation totaled 59.8 TWh in October, down 12.5% from September, US Energy Information Administration data showed Dec. 23.

It was the lowest level of monthly coal generation in six months.

Year on year, generation declined 10.4%, and from the five-year average of about 87.6 TWh in October, generation was at a 32% deficit this year.

Out of total power generation, coal took a 19% share, the lowest in five months.

Coal capacity averaged 37.3% in October, down from 43.6% in the previous month and the smallest percentage since May.

Natural gas contributed nearly 132 TWh in October, the lowest in six months. From the month before, generation was down 6.9%, and from the year-ago week, it rose 0.5%.

Gas took a 41.9% share of power generation, down 0.4 percentage point and the lowest in six months.

From the five-year average of over 115 TWh in October, gas was up 14.7%.

The capacity factor for gas plants was 53.1% in October, down 7 percentage points from the previous month and the lowest level since April.

Total renewable generation, including hydro, was about 60.8 TWh, up 8.6% month on month and up 5.4% from the year-ago month.

Renewables produced 19.3% of total generation in October, up from 16.7% in the previous month.

Hydro produced about 18.4 TWh in October, down 4.3% month on month and up 0.2% from the year-ago month. Utility solar produced 7.3 TWh, down 5.6% from the previous month and up 20.2% from the year-ago month. Wind produced 29.4 TWh, up 26.9% from September and up 6.9%% from the year-ago month.

While hydro took 5.8% of generation in October, up 0.1 percentage point from September, solar made up 2.3%, flat from the previous month, and wind made 9.4%, up from 6.9% the month before.

Capacity factors for renewables in October were 35.8% for wind, up from 29.3% month on month; 22.6% for solar, down from 25.2%; and 30.9% for hydro, down from 33.3%.