Natural gas moves into coal country

摘要

Natural gas is poised to make big gains in traditional US coal country this year, spreading deeper into the power market in the Midwest, Texas and the Midcontinent, write Bob Yu, Senior Energy Analyst, Platts Analytics, and Rocco Canonica, Manager Platts Gas & Power. Low gas prices, new westward pipeline expansions out of the Appalachian Basin and continued high production levels are making gas the fuel of choice for power utility companies that have long relied on coal for the majority of their power generation. Coal-fired power plants are rapidly being pushed out of the market and shut down, while many gas plants are being built. The longer-term push toward gas and away from coal is well under way.