Coal plants continue to shut down in 2018, while President Donald Trump continues to push on his campaign platform to keep them open.
More coal-fired generators were shut down (measured by megawattage) in 2017-2018 than during Barack Obama’s first term in 2009-2012, according to Reuters.
Reuters and the U.S. Energy Information Administration compiled data as follows:
United States coal plant output continues to decline every year from a peak in 2011. Decision-makers in power generation plan later in 2019 to shut down around 8,422 MW of coal-fired power and 1,500 MW of nuclear power.
The other side of the coin is the increasing interest from consumers in wind and solar energy, as well as the ever-present demand for inexpensive power. The same group of generators surveyed said they plan to add 10,900 MW of wind, 8,200 MW of solar, and 7,500 MW of gas. Natural gas in particular is cited as a more efficient source requiring less money to generate power from.
In a Pew Research survey from the same month, 22 percent of Americans said the country should prioritize oil, coal, and natural gas as opposed to alternative sources like wind and solar.
“You’re going back to work,” Trump said in April 2018 before preparing to sign an executive order removing some environmental protections considered onerous within the coal mining industry.
A Mine Safety and Health Administration report from 2017 shows that the United States added 1,001 coal jobs compared to 2016, in particular in West Virginia and Alabama. Of course, the numbers vary widely across the country, and some analysts suggest that the remaining plants are doing more work with fewer workers in each individual plant.
Germany is also phasing out black coal mining. It receives about two-fifths of its electricity from coal plants.