Natural gas-fired electricity conversion efficiency grows as coal remains stable

U.S. Energy Information Administration ------- From 2006 to 2015, annual average heat rates of natural gas-fired electricity generators decreased 7% as heat rates of coal-fired electricity generators remained stable, increasing only 1%. Heat rates are calculated based on the amount of energy (measured in British thermal units) reported to EIA that was used to generate a unit of electricity. Lower heat rates indicate more efficient generation, because less fuel is needed per kilowatthour.In 2006, the heat rate for all natural gas-fired generation averaged 8,471 British thermal units per kilowatthour (Btu/kWh), about 18% lower than the average heat rate of 10,351 Btu/kWh for coal-fired generation. With stable coal-fired heat rates and declining natural gas-fired heat rates since that time, the average heat rate for natural gas-fired generation was about 25% lower than the average heat rate for coal-fired generation in 2015, based on the latest available annual data. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.