Electricity generation mix & projections in the U.S. 2005-2020

Coal power plants generated 2,013 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in the United States in 2005. In that year, it was projected by the EIA (Energy Information Administration) that coal power generation would increase to 2,494 TWh by 2020. Due to environmental policies, the natural gas boom, and the rapid growth of renewable energy sources, coal power generation in the U.S. actually dropped to 774 TWh in 2020. The projected growth in coal electric power meant that U.S. power sector emissions were expected to rise to three billion metric tons of CO2 by 2020. However, electricity-related emissions that year fell 40 percent from 2005 levels to 1.4 billion metric tons. This was 52 percent lower than the assumed emissions.