what state has the most coal fired power plants
Coal power in the United States
Due to emergence of shale gas , coal consumption declined from 2009 . In the first quarter of 2012 , the use of coal for electricity generation declined substantially more , 21 % from 2011 levels . According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration , 27 gigawatts of capacity from coal - fired generators is to be retired from 175 coal - fired power plants between 2012 and 2016 . Natural gas showed a corresponding increase , increasing by a third over 2011 . Coal 's share of electricity generation dropped to just over 36 % . Coal use continues to decline rapidly through November 2015 with its share around 33.6 % .
Due to emergence of shale gas , coal consumption declined from 2009 . In the first quarter of 2012 , the use of coal for electricity generation declined substantially more , 21 % from 2011 levels . According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration , 27 gigawatts of capacity from coal - fired generators is to be retired from 175 coal - fired power plants between 2012 and 2016 . Natural gas showed a corresponding increase , increasing by a third over 2011 . Coal 's share of electricity generation dropped to just over 36 % . Coal use continues to decline rapidly through November 2015 with its share around 33.6 % .