US coal stores rise 1.3 pct for week - Genscape

Tue May 4, 2010 9:30pm IST

HOUSTON, May 4 (Reuters) - Coal stockpiles at U.S. power
plants rose 1.3 percent this week but were 0.8 percent smaller
than last year at this time, Genscape said Tuesday.

U.S. generators, which rely on coal to fuel about half of
U.S. electricity output, had 63 days worth of coal on hand as
of Monday, one more day than last week, the data provider
said.

But power companies averaged one less day of coal
stockpiled than the same week of 2009, Genscape said.

There were above-normal spring temperatures in the eastern
half of the nation, WSI Corp weather service said. The weather
boosted power demand for air conditioning.

Power generators as of Monday had 168.9 million tons of
coal, up from 166.7 million tons stockpiled on April 26 but
down from 170.3 million tons the same week last year, Genscape
said.

Inventories typically grow in spring and autumn when demand
for heating and cooling drops. Stockpiles shrink in summer and
winter when demand for interior climate control rises.

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.

(Reporting by Bruce Nichols; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINN049569320100504