US coal stocks drop 1.3 pct from last wk -Genscape

HOUSTON, July 22 (Reuters) - U.S. power plants have 1.3 percent less coal on hand this week than last, virtually erasing the cushion over the same week last year, Genscape said Tuesday.

The surplus over stockpiles last year fell more than 0.2 percentage point to 0.97 percent nationwide as of Monday, but the cushion is lower in some areas, the data provider said.

"Reserves are falling most precipitously along the East Coast, where dependence on Eastern coal is highest," Genscape said.

Air-conditioning demand for coal-generated electric power and exports of U.S. coal to meet soaring worldwide demand are impairing stockpiles, Genscape said.

Utilities had 50 days of average coal burn, down one from the previous week. The cushion in days of burn available this year over last is now virtually zero, Genscape said.

Power companies had 140.7 million short tons of coal stockpiled, compared with 142.6 million tons last week and 139.4 million tons the same week last year.

Mathematical rounding sometimes affects the results, overstating some changes and understating others, Genscape has said. (Reporting by Bruce Nichols) (b.nichols@thomsonreuters.com; + 1 713 210 8510; Reuters Messaging: bruce.nichols.reuters.com@reuters.net))