America Is Burning the Least Coal Ever With Virus Sapping Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Coal consumption in the U.S. has hit a record low as the pandemic slashes energy demand.

Power plants burned just 27.4 million short tons of the fuel in April, a 27% decrease from the previous year and the lowest monthly level in Energy Information Data going back to 1973.

Overall U.S. electricity consumption fell 4% year-on-year, to the lowest since November 2001, the EIA said in its Today In Energy report. The dip, driven by industrial and commercial users, comes as residential demand jumped 8%.

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