The disappearing case for coal in the US
A large wave of pit retirements may soon be followed by another
Coal supplied half of the total US power generation as recently as 2008, but after a decade of retirements now accounts for just a bit more than a quarter. A long wave of plant closures was driven by a mix of factors including the rise of natural gas, combined wind and solar, some policy tightening and pit depletion. Most observers have long believed that a smaller, leaner coal industry would emerge by now; largely safe, and economically viable. But a string of recent reports suggests that even younger coal plants may succumb to closure. Eric Gimon is a senior fellow at EnergyInnovation.org in San Francisco and is a co-author of The Coal Cost Crossover (March, 2019), which finds that as
Also in this section
10 December 2024
Sector at economic and strategic crossroads, but clear path ahead for midstream additions
30 November 2024
Decades of turmoil have left Iraq’s vast energy potential underutilised, but renewed investment and strategic reforms are transforming it into a key player in the region
29 November 2024
The country's fifth and sixth oil and gas bid rounds have attracted a range of new players with gas as well as oil ambitions—and there’s a seismic shift in the contracting process
28 November 2024
Iraq is charting a new path for its indigenous resources and its youth, hoping to electrify the future with a mix of reforms and modernisation to fuel growth
