Bituminous coal, which has dominated the U.S. power generation landscape for decades, is now the hardest hit as coal-fired power plants are increasingly decommissioned.

A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration points out that in the past 10 years, units using bituminous coal accounted for 68% of decommissioned coal-fired power plants. According to EIA, nearly 90 GW has been retired from the 318 GW coal-fired investment portfolio that existed in 2011.

Compared with sub-bituminous coal, lignite and relatively rare anthracite types, bituminous coal is mainly mined in the Appalachian and Illinois Basins and has long been valued for its abundance and higher energy density. EIA stated that among the surviving coal-fired power plants, sub-bituminous coal power plants are considered more economically competitive due to lower delivery prices.

For example, according to EIA data, recent reports indicate that the coal price in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming is US$11.90 per short ton. Appalachian coal is close to US$60, and Illinois Basin products are close to US$35 per short ton.

Most of the capacity has been replaced by the 94.5 GW natural gas power plant capacity built in the United States in the past 10 years. In areas previously rich in coal, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, the high-yield Marcellus and Utica shale regions have reshaped the energy landscape.

Natural gas now powers approximately 38% of the U.S. electricity resource portfolio, and coal once dominated, now close to 20% of the national power generation portfolio.

Sub-bituminous coal is mainly mined in Wyoming.