US natural gas-fired combined-cycle capacity overtook coal-fired capacity in 2018, the US Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday. In the United States, natural gas-fired combined-cycle (NGCC) capacity has increased for years, finally overtaking coal-fired capacity, which has seen a steady decline over the last decade. To compare, as of January 2019, NGCC capacity in the US reached 264 gigawatts (GW), while coal plant capacity fell to 243 GW. Overall natural gas-fired capacity overtook coal-fired capacity long ago. NGCC power plants, which are less efficient than other forms of natural gas-fired capacity, accounted for about half of all natural gas-fired capacity in the United States as of the end of 2018. While natural gas has been gaining traction, coal capacity is steadily declining, shedding about 40 GW of capacity in the last 4 years. Over that same time, about 30 GW of NGCC has been added into the mix. New […]