US coal consumption drops to lowest level since 1979

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal report says Americans are using less coal this year than at any time since Jimmy Carter’s presidency. That’s despite the Trump administration’s efforts to revive the country’s coal industry.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected Tuesday that the country will end 2018 having used less coal than at any time since 1979.
The report cites ongoing competition from cheap and cleaner-burning forms of energy, especially natural gas.