US EditionCoal is dying because it costs more, ruins climate | Jenny Rowland-Shea
Coal plants generated only 15% of U.S. electricity in 2024 as 99% of coal facilities cost more to run than solar or wind, according to Energy Innovation Policy and Technology.
- In 2024, coal accounted for just 15% of electricity production in the U.S., marking a significant decrease from its 51% share in 2001 and illustrating a long-term reduction in coal usage.
- This decrease is driven by economic factors, as lower-cost natural gas and the growing use of sustainable energy sources have gradually displaced coal beginning around 2008.
- A 2024 study found 99% of coal plants cost more to operate than solar or wind, with median operating costs at $36 versus $24 per megawatt-hour.
- Despite market trends, the Trump administration in April 2024 signed an order to expand coal leasing and extend coal plant operations while blocking clean energy investments.
- The coal industry is expected to keep declining, with 63% of coal capacity closing by 2030 and possibly all remaining plants shuttered by 2040, signaling ongoing economic and environmental challenges.
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33 Articles
33 Articles
Lincoln Journal Star+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Rising cost and climate change spell its demise
Coal has been on the way out for a decade now. The industry’s future was considered mainly dead and buried — until the Trump administration decided to dig it out of the grave.
·Cherokee County, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources33
Leaning Left1Leaning Right1Center31Last UpdatedBias Distribution94% Center
Bias Distribution
- 94% of the sources are Center
94% Center
C 94%
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