Source: Energy Information Administration Up above is a chart from the EIA that showcases how low North American natural gas prices have been and will continue to steadily chip away at coal's dominance in providing a source of energy to power America's electrical grid. Part of the reason for shift can be attributed to natural gas being relatively "cleaner" than coal in light of the global push to reduce/limited pollution, and another aspect is that natural gas-powered turbines can be more economical than coal-powered plants for generating electricity in various parts of the United States.