Cheap Natural Gas Causes Drop in Coal

Electricity generation in the U.S. from coal took a dramatic drop in in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011. According to new figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal made up 36 percent of U.S. electricity  — down from 44.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011. That almost a 20 percent decline in coal generation over the last year, was primarily due to low natural gas prices.