Reports earlier this month revealed that for the second time ever (and the second time this year), natural gas-generated electricity exceeded coal-generated electricity on a monthly basis, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). After looking at the entire year of electricity generation, from July 2014 through July 2015, analysts said coal-fired generation fell in every region of the U.S., while electricity generation fueled by natural gas rose in every region of the country.

At the same time, overall electricity demand grew throughout the U.S. On October 9, 2015, Utility Dive, an online publication which says it offers a “birds-eye view of the utilities industry,” reported, “Total electricity demand grew year-over-year in the U.S. to 398 billion kWh in July 2015, compared with 384 billion kWh during the same period the year before.”

Natural gas combustion turbines are being put to work at utilities across the country to help meet the increased demand for power. Low gas prices are only part of the reason why natural gas-generated electricity is becoming more popular than coal-generated power. Government regulations have played, and will continue to play a role in the increased demand for gas-generated electricity. More utilities are expected to turn to natural gas as a successor to coal for power generation as “an avenue to comply” with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), which aims to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

As more gas combustion turbines are put into operation, issues with turbine noise will become more common. At Central Metal Fabricators, we design, manufacture, assemble and install gas turbine silencing equipment, and we have been a leader in our industry for the past 67 years. Throughout our company’s decades-long history, we’ve eradicated turbine noise problems for utilities and other industrial clients, providing them with solutions that have proved to be effective and economical. We’d be happy to share these stories with you in more detail. Reach out to us through our website, or call us at 305-261-6262.

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