Total U.S. coal consumption in 2018 is projected to fall by 4% from the prior year to 691 million short tons, reaching the lowest since 1979, as cheap power prices drive closure of coal-fired plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration report.

• The U.S. power sector saw the retirement of 529 coal-fired generators, with 55GW of capacity, accounting for 18% of fleet’s supply, since reaching peak demand in 2007
• Lower coal use also due to “age of generators, changes in regional electricity demand, and increased competition from renewables”
• The “power sector is the nation’s largest consumer of coal, accounting for 93 percent of total U.S. coal consumption” over the last decade