That's okay, soon they'll be none of it to waste your money on

Natural gas prices soar along with the temperature

In the past, coal kept a lid on summer gas demand and prices. If gas prices rose too high, utilities would turn to their coal plants. The U.S. power sector has retired about a third of its coal-fired generating capacity since 2010, though, which means that switching is no longer an option for some. Utilities that still have flexibility must contend with coal prices that are about triple what they were a year ago because of low supplies and reduced mining.