Big Share of '95 Fuel Mix
For the second year in a row, natural gas fueled an increasing share of U.S. electric generation. When the final numbers are tabulated for 1995, electric generation is expected to have increased about 2.7 percent over the previous year. This compares to a 0.98-percent increase for the 1993-1994 period. Gas accounted for over 10 percent of the 1995 utility fuel mix (em up from 8.8 percent just two years ago. And for perhaps the first time in history, coal burn by utilities should remain flat despite robust growth in electric generation.
The fuel mix winners of 1995 were nuclear, hydro, and natural gas. Gas benefited primarily from decreasing prices, while the increase in nuclear output can be attributed to improved performance and more timely maintenance and refueling schedules.