The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook early release report says that projected low prices for natural gas make it a very attractive fuel for new generating capacity. In some areas, natural gas-fired generation replaces generation formerly supplied by coal and nuclear plants.
In 2040, natural gas will account for 35% of total electricity generation, while coal accounts for 32%.
Coal-fired generation that hovered at 50% during the early part of the last decade now stands at 37%.
The report also says:
Following the decline of natural gas prices since 2008, real average delivered prices for electricity have dropped consistently (although more gradually) since 2009, to 9.8 cents per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2012.
The United States becomes a net exporter of LNG in 2016, and it becomes an overall net exporter of natural gas in 2018.
