Even amid lower overall electricity consumption due to Covid-19 mitigation efforts, natural gas-fired power generation grew 55,000 GWh year/year through the first half of 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Power Generation by Source

Comparing the first six months of 2019 to the first six months of 2020, natural gas was the fastest growing source of electric power generation, increasing 9% year/year, EIA said in a research note published Wednesday.

As total electricity generation fell 5%, coal-fired generation fell 30% during the same time frame, while nuclear generation declined 4%, according to the agency.

EIA attributed the uptick in natural gas-fired generation to a combination of low prices and natural gas-fired capacity additions.

After declining by 138,000 GWh...