August 29, 2025 - In the upcoming era of unprecedented increases in electricity demand the United States will soon face these energy realties: (1) Nuclear power has cost, waste and supply chain limitations preventing it from becoming a major factor until upwards of 2040 if ever: (2) There is not enough natural gas to meet both burgeoning electrification demand and an LNG export regime removing at least 32 bcf/d from a domestic production level that will only be 115 bcf/d in 2035 and (3) The US and Europe have ceded the renewable supply chain of wind, solar, batteries and critical minerals to the Chinese and we will march to their tune. Not to mention that if wind and solar are so cheap why are electric rates rising as they are added to the grid?

There is an intellectual disconnect between the real world of electricity and the willingness of American society to accept the erosion of our most reliable and affordable source of power - coal. Electricity demand has been relatively benign for the last two decades, so the US is not prepared for the upcoming explosive growth in consumption. For instance, the DOE projects demand will increase by 182 TWh hours by 2030. This is an unfathomable underestimation of what is actually happening. Projections by individual states tell a totally different story. In Texas, for example, ERCOT forecasts that demand will double by 2030 requiring an additional 500 TWh - more than 2.7 times as much as the DOE forecasts for the entire country, Throughout the US, the rise of data centers, crypto currency, reindustrialization, electric vehicles, chemical processing, on and on, will lead to power demand never experienced before. And this is not a typical energy projection decades away, where everyone will be out of office, retired or dead when it supposedly comes to fruition. Much of the action will take place in just the next few years. Utilities, state regulators, politicians and activists are going to have the shock of their lives when the coming wave hits. Unfortunately, consumers will pay the price.

Our greatest energy asset – the attributes of coal:

The International Energy Agency (IEA) defines energy security as “The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.”  In that context, no other energy source in the world can stand against American coal.

Reliability : Look no further than the 2025 Polar Vortex in January and the heat wave in June. Regarding the Vortex, Energy Ventures Analysis found: “Coal-fired power plants dramatically increased their output... capacity factors for coal soared above 80% … renewable resources (such as wind and solar) underperformed”.  Also, coal’s capacity factor routinely exceeded that of natural gas. In the June heat wave, just consider MISO, where EVA found the capacity factor of coal rose to 63%---higher than natural gas and far beyond wind and solar, which were “unable to respond due to time of-day and weather limitations”

Affordability—Chris Wright Secretary of Energy has stated “We are on a path to continually shrink the electricity we generate from coal, and that has made electricity more expensive and our grid less stable.”  As energy analyst Art Berman has argued the unavoidable intermittency of wind and solar cannot be overcome without increasing cost, e.g. backup generation and battery storage expenses. And without a steady stream of subsidy handouts, plans for renewables shrivel quickly. The last nuclear plant built cost $35 Billion and natural gas has the greatest price volatility of any fuel.

Availability—US coal reserves are secure and are all located within the boundaries of the country.

Abundance-- The US has an estimated 250 billion tons of recoverable coal--about 25% of the world’s total and more than any other country.

Accessibility—US coal is distributed across more than 20 states. The infrastructure to produce, transport and convert coal to electricity is already in place.

Sustainability—America’s coal reserves will last 400 years and beyond.

Versatility – Thermal coal produces electricity; metallurgical coal produces over 70% of steel. Coal produces cement and can be converted into liquid fuels. Coal yields carbon-based products such as graphite, carbon fiber and chemicals.

Amenability to clean coal technologies – e.g. Supercritical combustion, flue gas desulfurization, low-NOx burners, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) among many others. 

Conclusion—We ignore the benefits and opportunities of coal at our peril. Activists, extremists and lobbyists have demonized coal to the point where few individuals or organizations now speak in favor of its use. The media and other anti-coal special interest groups hold sway. Consider the following headlines since the Trump Administration announced support for coal: Reuters: “Trump Administration plans to give dirty US coal plants a reprieve”; The Washington Post: “Trump gave the dying coal industry a lifeline”; ABC: “Trump wants ‘clean coal’ but there’s no such thing”

These unfounded exaggerations are legion in the press, television and social media. Yet, the coal industry has failed to develop a viable response to coherently delineate the continuing contributions coal makes to the lives of virtually every human being in the US, Europe and throughout the globe. Energy is the sine qua non of modern life, and coal has been, is, and continues to be our most important source of energy. From electricity to steel to cement to communication, coal is the fundamental energy cornerstone of contemporary civilization.

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Note: Coal is the Cornerstone seeks to give a voice to supporters of coal in its many dimensions and contributions. But we need help and ask like-minded individuals and companies supporting coal to make a financial contribution to the effort. Visit us and donate at http://www.coaliscornerstone.com. Also, access to all of our previous articles is available on this site. .………………………………………………………………………………………

Frank Clemente PhD. specializes in research on the socioeconomic impact of energy policy and is the author of The Global Value of Coal, published by the International Energy Agency (2012). Professor Clemente has served on the faculty of the University of Kentucky, University of Wisconsin and Penn State. He has extensive experience in speaking, writing and presenting data on the value of coal to the United States and the world. All opinions expressed here are presented independently from any university with which he has been affiliated.

Fred Palmer Esq. served as CEO of Western Fuels before he joined Peabody Energy as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs. Palmer was Chair of the World Coal Association Board and a member of the National Coal Council. He received the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Award for “Distinguished Achievement in Coal Technology”.  He also received a Statement of Appreciation from the National Coal Council in 2015 with a plaque for “Guidance since 1990”.