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In July 2014, DEP estimated the use of coal to generate electricity in Pennsylvania would have to drop by 75 percent or 10.5 million tons a year to meet the 2030 reductions called for in EPA’s original Clean Power Plan.
Vince Brisini, then Deputy Secretary for Waste, Air, Radiation and Remediation, told DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council at the time that this same reduction in the use of coal is anticipated if the current prices and trends in the use of natural gas to generate electricity continue through 2030.
In June, the Public Utility Commission reported the continuing dramatic shift to the use of natural gas to generate electricity. From 1997 to 2013 natural gas use to generate electricity increased from 3 percent to 38 percent. About 24 percent of generating capacity-- 10,0003 MW-- is now fueled by natural gas in Pennsylvania with another 11,609 MW of new generating capacity being proposed.
Significant progress has already been made in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by the switch from coal to natural gas to generate electricity.
The 2013 update to Pennsylvania’s Climate Change Action Plan projected carbon dioxide emissions in the Commonwealth in 2020 will be lower than in 2000 due to the retirement of coal-fired power plants resulting in a 12 million ton reduction of CO2 and the substitution of natural gas for new generating capacity for a net saving of 5.5 million tons of CO2.
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