VINACHEM

Coal dropped to 29.6% of US utility-scale power generation in February as natural gas and renewables each captured greater market share, the US Energy Information Administration said Thursday.

The agency's Electric Power Monthly showed that coal generation totaled 92.9 GWh in February, down 18.3% from January and 26.9% from the same month a year ago.

Natural gas and renewables comprised 31.3% and 17% of the total energy mix, respectively, up from 31.1% and 14.9% in January. For renewables, it was the highest monthly grab of the energy pie since April 2014. Natural gas has topped coal for seven of the last eight months, including the last six months of 2015, according to EIA data. Prior to 2015, coal was always dominant to natural gas for power generation.

A year ago, coal comprised 37.9% of electric power generation while gas made up 27.2% and renewables 14.1%. That share began dropping with coal-fired plant retirements resulting from implementation of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and falling gas prices.

According to the EIA report, total US power generation came to 314.1 GWh in February, down 11.1% from January. Year to date, US power generation is down 6.4%.

Falling burn rates and coal's declining share have contributed to rising stockpiles, particularly of subbituminous coal originating from the Powder River Basin.

Power sector stocks totaled 189 million st in February, down 0.1% from January, but up 26.2% from the year-ago month, according to the report. Stockpiles are 15.1% above the five-year average.

Subbituminous stocks totaled 106.7 million st, up 0.3% from the prior month, up 33.9% from the prior year, and 23.2% above the five-year average.

Bituminous stockpiles totaled 77.7 million st, down 0.4% from the prior month, up 20.1% year on year and 5.6% above the five-year average.