Despite political support from the White House, U.S. coal consumption continues to fall, as power producers shutter coal-fired units in favor of cheaper and more flexible natural gas as well as solar and wind. Electric power producers’ coal consumption fell to 298 million short tons in the first half of 2018, down from 312 million in the same period in 2017, marginally below 2016, and the lowest since 1983 ( tmsnrt.rs/2ObCbGz ). U.S. power producers generated almost 6 percent less electricity from coal in the first half of the year even as total generation rose almost 5 percent and gas-fired generation was up 17 percent. Coal-fired generation declined by 32 billion kilowatt hours in the first six months, while gas-fired generation rose […]