Renewable energy and natural gas-fired power plants are expected to meet growing power demand as coal power declines, according to a December 17 preview of the federal Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2009. The business-as-usual projection assumes no changes in law. The full report, due early next year, is to include additional scenarios, such as what would happen under federal climate change legislation, plus region-specific projections. Renewable energy use is expected to grow at a 3.3 percent clip through 2030. The percentage of electricity supplied by coal plants is expected to decline from 49 percent nationally to 45 percent in 2025 and then climb a bit to 47 percent in 2030. At the same time, U.S. power consumption is expected to increase from 3.9 billion kWh/year in 2007 to 4.9 billion kWh/year in 2030. Along with wind, solar, biomass, and other forms of renewable power, natural gas-fired power plants also are expected to help meet rising demand for power. However, EIA projects that more of the nation’s natural gas will be domestic as producers tap offshore fields and unconventional resources, such as coal bed methane. Natural gas imports are projected to fall from 16 percent of the nation’s needs in 2007 to just 3 percent in 2030. EIA projects flat oil demand through the period, with a rebound in prices to $189/bbl in nominal dollars by 2030, which would be $130/bbl in today’s dollars. The forecast also expects a big boost in sale of hybrid cars and a toe hold for plug-in hybrid models by 2014.