Is Natural Gas Cheaper Than Coal For Electricity

Natural gas offers a few major benefits.

Is natural gas cheaper than coal for electricity.

At the beginning of 2016 the national average price of natural gas was consistently below the cost of coal delivered to power plants reaching a low point of about 16 mwh in march while coal has averaged between 21 mwh and 23 mwh for the past two years. Although cc gas currently has a lower fuel cost than coal this can change very quickly. All this suggests irena was on the right track when it predicted early last year that renewable energy should be consistently cheaper than. Burning natural gas for instance produces nearly half as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy compared with coal.

Than the cheapest new coal oil or natural gas. Results in significant reduction of ghg emissions at the plant level. Wind and solar power are becoming. The installation and maintenance costs of a couple tens of thousands divided by a few decades of usage might rival the cost of the natural gas or oil fuel itself.

Natural gas based energy production newer technology accounts for 28 of electricity production in the u s. Natural gas and electricity are the two main options for normal operation of building systems and equipment. Natural gas is cheaper than coal which it has rapidly replaced and produces 35 of u s. Last year gas used in utility plants cost as low as 16 per megawatt hour a million watts.

Natural gas is thus considered by many to be a bridge fuel that can help. While coal and gas both emit global warming inducing carbon dioxide gas puts out half as much as coal. Burning natural gas at a combined cycle plant is slightly cheaper than a coal plant but burning natural gas at a ct plant is 50 percent more expensive than a burning coal for that same amount of electricity. Electricity according to the energy information administration.

It s comparatively cheap it s easy to transport and burns cleanly compared to other fossil fuels.