HOUSTON, March 23 - Coal stockpiles at U.S. power plants rose 0.5 percent this week but fell 4.4 percent below the same week last year, Genscape said Tuesday.
U.S. generators, which rely on coal to fuel about half of U.S. electricity production, had 56 days worth of coal on hand, same as last week, the power industry data provider said.
Companies averaged three less days of coal stockpiled than the same week of 2009, one day less than last week's cushion, Genscape said.
Genscape said power generators as of Monday had 152.3 million tons of coal, up from 151.5 million tons stockpiled on March 15 but down from 159.4 million tons the same week last year.
The week-on-week rise followed warmer weather across the Midwest and North, which cut coal-fired power demand by easing heating needs.
The year-on-year decline appears due to slower springtime growth in inventories as miners maintain cuts in output that began during the economic slump.
Inventories typically grow in spring and fall when demand for heating and cooling drops. Stockpiles usually shrink during summer and winter when demand rises for climate control in homes, stores and factories.
Mathematical rounding sometimes affects the results, overstating some changes and understating others, Genscape has said.
The numbers reflect adjustments to the Genscape model and restatement of inventories for early 2009 due to distortions caused by unprecedented substitution of gas for coal in that period.
U.S. generators, which rely on coal to fuel about half of U.S. electricity production, had 56 days worth of coal on hand, same as last week, the power industry data provider said.
Companies averaged three less days of coal stockpiled than the same week of 2009, one day less than last week's cushion, Genscape said.
Genscape said power generators as of Monday had 152.3 million tons of coal, up from 151.5 million tons stockpiled on March 15 but down from 159.4 million tons the same week last year.
The week-on-week rise followed warmer weather across the Midwest and North, which cut coal-fired power demand by easing heating needs.
The year-on-year decline appears due to slower springtime growth in inventories as miners maintain cuts in output that began during the economic slump.
Inventories typically grow in spring and fall when demand for heating and cooling drops. Stockpiles usually shrink during summer and winter when demand rises for climate control in homes, stores and factories.
Mathematical rounding sometimes affects the results, overstating some changes and understating others, Genscape has said.
The numbers reflect adjustments to the Genscape model and restatement of inventories for early 2009 due to distortions caused by unprecedented substitution of gas for coal in that period.
