In the electricity-generation market of 2009, coal generation had only a 44 .6 percent share, 3.6 percentage points lower than in 2008 and the lowest level since 1978 when it represented 44.2 percent of the market. Hydroelectric power, wind energy, and natural gas picked up most of the market share coal lost in 2009.[a] Higher water levels helped lift hydroelectric generation, while wind and natural gas boosted their generation levels by adding capacity. Natural gas was also able to compete more effectively against coal, inasmuch as gas's price was about 50 percent lower in 2009 than in 2008.
