Natural gas-fired generation has generally increased in most U.S. regions since 2015, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Power Plant Operations Report. Annual electricity generation from natural gas power plants in the United States increased by 31% in the Northeast region.
The largest increases in U.S. natural gas-fired generation have occurred in the Central and Northeast regions, near the natural gas production area in Appalachia in states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Relatively low natural gas prices have made it more economical to generate electricity using natural gas instead of coal.
When natural gas and coal are similarly priced on a cost-per-energy-content basis, most natural gas-fired generators can produce electricity more efficiently than coal-fired generators, providing an economic advantage in electricity markets.

Read the full article here