Climate Changed

Coal's Share of U.S. Power Mix Seen Falling by Half by 2040

  • About two-thirds of coal-fired plants to close by 2040: BNEF
  • Natural gas, renewables to grab market share from coal

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Coal’s share in the U.S. power mix is projected to fall in half by 2040, according to a report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The fossil fuel -- which in 2008 generated half of America’s electricity -- will see a steep decline in market share starting in the latter half of the next decade as closures of U.S. coal-fired power plants mount, according to BNEF’s New Energy Outlook 2017 report published Thursday. Over that stretch, gas-fired electricity is forecast to rise by 22 percent while power from renewables is seen jumping by 169 percent.