Reuters quoted Genscape said as weather, nuclear plant restarts and low gas prices cut demand for coal-fired power that US coal consumption was unchanged in the past week.

The power industry data monitor said use of coal for the week ended Thursday fell 8% from the same week in 2010. Natural gas prices are lower than the same week last year.

In the populous East, including the coal-dependent Midwest and Southeast, coal use was unchanged from the previous week but was 7% less than the same week last year.

In the less populous West which was cooler and has fewer coal fired power plants, coal use was the same WoW but off 5% from the year earlier level. Lower natural gas prices NGc1 than the same time last year have boosted the use of gas-fired generation rather than coal-fired power plants.

Coal use swings up and down seasonally, and varies from WoW and region to region, depending on electricity demand to power heaters and run air-conditioners.

Coal plants produce about 50% of US electricity. Power generation accounts for more than 90% of US coal consumption.

(Sourced from Reuters)