During the last years the concerns about polluting fossil fuels have started to promote some changes in the industry. Seeking sustainability and a low-carbon world, and under the pressure of International organizations, many countries started a movement to shift to other, less-polluting fossil fuels or renewable alternatives. As a result, America implemented some changes that will cause the loss of 12.3 GW of energy, but it is for the good.
It is time to say goodbye to an old energy source
With the world seeking renewables and less-polluting energy sources, the United States finds itself in a difficult place. With a heavy dependency on coal to generate energy, the country needed to find a way to balance the use of coal with the new resources and technologies.
Besides being known as “the dirtiest fossil fuel”, coal was a basis for many countries’ energy resources. On the other hand, it is responsible for 41% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Also, the coal mines are a major source os methane, which directly impacts the atmosphere.
According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), this scenario is about to change. At the beginning of this year, the US announced its plans to retire 12.3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2025, the amount is related to coal energy. It represents an increase of 65% compared to 2024, when 7.5 GW was retired.
The high levels of coal-energy dependence are related to the US history
As said by some sources, the use of coal as a power generator is intrinsically connected to the US history. Now, with the pressure made by international organizations, the shift to renewable sources is relying on technology and natural resources, as solar and wind energy are receiving investments from the organizations. These energy sources are in the spotlight once multiple actions were recently taken, such as this wind energy site, which promises to be the biggest in the world.
And besides the US plans to retire coal plants, the demand for power to support the rollout of complex technologies could delay, or even cancel, the plans for the shift. At the same time, the US Energy Information Administration detailed the plans for a total shift to renewable energy sources.
For international organizations, there is only one way to go when we talk about coal
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), it is expected that the operating coal capacity will continue to decline over the next years. For 2030, we should have about 115,000 MW of remaining operational power.
The remaining capacity is expected to be retired by 2040, when renewable energy sources will be the majority and the existing coal plants will be outdated.
For it, the US must keep the movement of retired coal-producing sites, such as the one in Wyoming, which is the country’s third-largest net energy supplier after Texas, with oil, and Pennsylvania, with gas.
Besides not being considered economically viable, the coal production still represents the basis of the economy for many North American states, such as Wyoming, North Dakota, Kentucky, and West Virginia, which also signed legislation that difficult the retire coal plants.
To be successful, this plan must rely on renewable energy sources
With the international pressure and the internal movements to promote the shift to renewable energy sources, the US plans must rely on renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy. Indeed, this shift can be a reflection of the recent actions made by the US energy industry to improve its technologies and promote new sites for renewable energy sources. The same movement can be perceived all across the world since many countries are constantly promoting actions to reinforce renewable energy sources. As a result, actions like this game-changer discovery are happening more often.