Dive Summary:

• NRG Energy Inc. announced plans Monday to convert three coal units on the East Coast to natural gas, thereby joining a growing number of utilities switching to the cleaner-burning fuel.
• The N.J.-based NRG was going to deactivate coal units at the 330-megawatt (MW) New Castle plant in Pennsylvania, but decided to pursue a regulator waiver to burn coal at the plant until it converts to natural gas in 2015.
• In the past three years, utilities have begun converting or have made plans to convert 35 coal-fired power plants in the United States. “With the mercury and air toxic standards taking effect in 2015, retiring a coal plant and firing it with natural gas is a way to avoid a lot of retrofit expenses on a coal plant," said Steve Piper, associate director of energy fundamentals for SNL Energy in Boulder, Colo.

From the article:
“Industry analysts estimate about 15 percent of all coal-fired plants, or about 89, will shut down by the time the Environmental Protection Agency rules become effective in 2015…”