Before the express train leaves the station, it's worth taking a look at the facts about new electric generating capacity in the United States.
Natural gas has become the primary energy source, accounting for about two-thirds of new capacity during the 1990. In contrast, market share for coal-which currently accounts for over 40 percent of all online capacity, and about 55 percent of online fossil-fuel capacity-is expected to grow only 10 to 15 percent in this decade.
The overwhelming choice of gas for new units reflects, in large part, the favorable economics for constructing and operating gas-fired plants. New gas-based combined-cycle and cogeneration plants offer short construction lead times, high efficiency and reliability, extremely low pollution levels, and modular construction opportunities that other generation sources-particularly coal, even low-sulfur coal-cannot match. An increasingly favorable gas supply and competitive price outlook also contribute to make gas the fuel of choice for both utility and nonutility generating additions.