Just 8 Yrs for Marcellus Gas to Surpass Coal-Fired Electric in PA

What a difference 20 years can make. In 2001, natural gas was used to produce 2% of the electricity produced in Pennsylvania, and coal produced 57% of the state's electricity. Then the Marcellus Shale miracle happened--the first Marcellus well was drilled in PA in 2004. By 2021, 52% of PA's electricity was produced by natural gas, and 12% was produced by coal. A complete reversal. Most of that change came over just eight years--from 2008 to 2016. There are multiple reasons for the change, including regulations (against coal), low cost (for newfound supplies of gas), and emissions (more for coal, less for gas).

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