Using data from the US Energy Department, the SNL Energy report claimed that natural gas accounted for about 31% of electric power generation in April, followed by coal at 30%. Nuclear power was placed third with 20%.
In particular, the amount of electricity generated from natural gas rose 21% compared to April 2014, while the amount generated from coal decreased by 19%, the Associated Press reported..
In April 2010, 44% and 22% of electric power generation came from coal and natural gas, respectively.
The US natural gas production is believed to have received a 30% boost by a drilling boom that began in 2008.
The energy companies used hydraulic fracturing to excavate huge volumes of gas from deep underground in shale formations, sharply lowering the gas price by about a third of what it was ten years ago.
Simultaneously, natural gas turbines were increasingly installed by power companies at their plants, several older coal-fired facilities were decommissioned.
However, the amount of coal and gas used is expected to continue to change depending on their prices.
In its May report, the Energy Information Administration has expressed hope that the level of coal-generated electricity will revive in wake of proposed hike in gas prices later this year and return of coal-fired plants from spring outage.
The agency expects coal and natural gas to account for 36% and 31% of the total electricity generation this year.
