US coal consumption drops to record low

Plant Bowen, the third largest coal-fired power station in the US. Credit: Wikipedia

Coal consumption in the US has hit a record low as the pandemic slashes energy demand.

Power plants burned just 27.4 million short tons of the fuel in April, a 27% decrease from the previous year and the lowest monthly level in Energy Information Data going back to 1973.

Overall US electricity consumption fell 4% year-on-year, to the lowest since November 2001, the EIA said in its Today In Energy report. The dip, driven by industrial and commercial users, comes as residential demand jumped 8%.

(By Anthony Robledo)

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