U.S. coal production is expected to reach 722 million tonnes in 2019

U.
S.
coal production in 2019 is expected to be 722 million tonnes, down 4.
3 percent
from nearly 755 million tonnes in 2018, according to data released Tuesday by the U.
S.
Energy Information Administration's EIA.

Based on its short-term energy outlook, EIA expects U.
S.
coal production to be 682 million tonnes in 2020, down 5.
6%
from its 2019 forecast.
U.
S.
coal production has not fallen below 700 million since 1978, up from 670.
2 million tons
in 1978.

While this year's EIA production forecast is down 7.
5 million mt from the forecast in the January report, expectations for 2020 production have increased by more than 2 million mt
since January.

Total exports are expected to reach 101 million tonnes this year, down 13.
3% from 116.
1 million tonnes exported in 2018, while exports are expected to reach 93 million tonnes in 2020, down 7.
9%
from the forecast for 2019.

The EIA predicts that electricity sector consumption will reach 583 million tonnes this year and 547 million tonnes next year, down 8.
9% from 2018 and 6.
3%
from 2019.
Total consumption is expected to be 636 million tons in 2019 and 599 million tons
in FY2020.

Compared to 27.
7% of total U.
S.
electricity generation in 2018, EIA forecasts that the share of coal power will fall to 26% in 2019 and further to 24% in 2020, slightly faster than the 25.
9% and 23.
7%
predicted in January.

While coal power generation is expected to decline month by month, natural gas is forecast to rise
.
The EIA forecasts natural gas generation as a share of the electricity mix at 36% in 2019, up from 35.
8% forecast in January and 37% in 2020, an increase of 0.
1%.