Coal

General Problems

Making Coal Costlier

Power Plant Closings & Decarbonization

China & Other Places

New Coal Plants & Expansion

Misc

The World Coal Association shows the world's top coal producers, in order by thousands of tonnes, as China, US, India, Indonesia, Australia, Russia, South Africa, Germany, Poland, and Kazakhstan. The list of top consumers differs. Indonesia, Poland & Kazakhstan are not even on it. Data is from 2012.

General Problems

Coal Generates Less than 1/2 of Australian Power for 1st Time 0924.rtf

2017-2025 Articles

UK Emissions Fell 3.6% in 2024, as Coal Use Dropped to Lowest since 1666 - 0325.rtf - very detailed accounting and historyCoal Generates Less than 1:2 of Australian Power for 1st Time 0924.rtfNew US Climate Rules for Pollution Cuts ‘Probably Terminal’ for Coal-Fired Plants 0524.rtfG7 to Sign Exit from Coal by 2035, but May Offer Leeway 0424.rtfU.S. Carbon Emissions Fell in 2023, as Coal Use Tumbled to New Lows 0124.rtfGlobal Coal Demand Expected to Decline in Coming Years - IEA 1223.rtfClick for more

Japan Vows to End Construction of New Unabated Coal Plants 1223.rtfExtending Australia’s Biggest Coal Plant Life Cost $1.7 Billion in Damages a Year 0923.rtf‘Beginning of the End’ of Fossil Fuel Era Approaching, Says IEA 0923.rtfFighting Big Coal to Protect Famous South Korea Beach 0823.rtfSolar Beats Coal in Europe for First Time - But There’s a Glitch 0623.rtfIndia’s Workers Are Trapped in a Vicious Cycle of Coal and Heat 0523\.rtfAustralia Court Blocks Giant Coal Mine on Human Rights Grounds 1122.rtfDrought Threatens Coal Plant Operations - and Electricity - across the West 0822.rtfJapan to End Financing of Key Coal Projects under Climate Pledge 0622.rtfChina Coal Expansions Threaten Higher Methane Levels Worldwide 0522.rtfTranquil Valley’s Triumph over Coal Shows Hurdles for Industry 0222.rtfAs Blackouts Loom, Indonesia’s Energy Crisis Highlights Its Coal Addiction 0122.rtfIndia’s Clean Energy Got More Money from Loans Than Coal for 3rd Year 1221.rtfAustralia’s Coal Power Plants Likely to Shut 3 X Faster than Earlier Expected 1221.rtfHalf of World’s Fossil Fuel Assets Could Be Worthless by 2036 - 1121.rtfCan South Africa Change One of the World’s Most Coal-Intensive Economies? 1021.rtf - The state-owned utility Eskom is drowning in more than $27 billion in debt. After borrowing too much to build coal plants, it isn’t able to scrape together enough money to invest in renewables or transmission lines. Frequent rolling blackouts have angered residential and business customers.China’s Overseas Coal Ban Ups Pressure on Developing Countries to Go Green 1021.rtfFossil-Fuel Use Could Peak in Just a Few Years. Still, Major Challenges Loom. 1021.rtf7 Nations Join UN Pledge to Stop Building New Coal Power Plants 0921.rtfMost Plans for New Coal Plants Scrapped since Paris Agreement 0921.rtfStill More Coal, Oil Must Be Left in the Ground to Curb Climate Change 0921.rtfHalf of China-Backed Overseas Coal Projects Shelved over 6 Years 0621.rtfCoal Financing Costs Surge as Investors Opt for Renewable Energy 0421.rtfIndonesian Campaigners Triumph against a Coal Mine in Top Court 0321.rtfBlackjewel’s Bankruptcy Portends Trouble for the Plummeting US Coal Industry 0321.rtfCoal-Fired Power Took a Beating during the Pandemic 0221.rtfFinal Coal-Burning Plant Closes 9 Years after Washington Law to Cut Emissions 1220.rtfChina Battles the World’s Biggest Coal Exporter, and Coal Is Losing 1220.rtfMalaysian Bank to Phase Out Coal Finance 1220.rtf2019 US Coal Production Hit Lowest Level since 1978 - 0720.rtfGermany’s Coal Power Could Shut Down a Decade Early 0720.rtfCoronavirus Crisis Could Cause $25 Trillion Fossil Fuel Industry Collapse 0620.rtfBritain Goes Record 2 Months without Coal Power Generation 0620.rtfUK Electricity Was Coal-Free for 1st Month Ever 0620.rtfU.S. Renewables Outstrip Coal for 1st Time Since 19th Century 0520.rtfIn a 1st, Renewable Energy Is Poised to Eclipse Coal in U.S. 0520.rtfThe Pandemic Is Accelerating Coal’s Demise 0420.rtfCoal Demand Set for Biggest Annual Drop Since World War II 0420.rtfSunny Spell Allows U.K. to Set Record for Coal-Free Days 0420.rtfIndia’s Virus Lockdown Sees Clean Energy Gain at Coal’s Expense 0420.rtfUtility-Scale Renewables Top Coal in US Electricity Generation for Entire Q1 2020 - 0420.rtfAs Investors and Insurers Back Away, the Economics of Coal Turn Toxic 0320.rtfCarbon Emissions Fall as Electricity Producers Move Away from Coal 0320.rtfIndia Gets Out of Coal 1219.rtf2 of Largest Coal-Burning Utilities in US Ditch Pro-Coal Trade Group 1219.rtfCoal Power Becoming ‘Uninsurable' as Firms Refuse Cover 1219.rtfAmerica's Largest Private Coal Miner Files for Bankruptcy 1019.rtfLeading & Young Australian Engineers Turn Their Backs on New Fossil Fuel Projects 1019.rtfIndonesia’s President Signals a Transition Away from Coal Power 0719.rtfCan India Kick Its Coal Addiction? 0719.rtfMajor US Coal Company Files for Bankruptcy, Putting over 1,000 Jobs at Risk 0719.rtfBloomberg Pledges $500 Million to Close Coal-Fired Power Plants 0619.rtf'Stranded Costs' Mount, as Coal Vanishes from the Grid 0519.rtfA Major U.S. Utility Is Closing Its Coal-Fired Power Plants a Decade Early 0519.rtfThe World’s Last Coal Plant Will Soon Be Built 0519.rtfCloud Peak Energy Voluntarily Files for Bankruptcy 0519.rtfBritain Goes a Week without Coal Power for 1st Time since 1882 - 0519.rtf'Coal Is on the Way Out' - Fossil Fuels Now Pricier than Solar or Wind 0319.rtfCoal Going from Winner to Loser in India's Energy Future 0219.rtfAustralia's Coal Future under Threat, as More Changes Hit Fossil Fuels Globally 0219.rtfAustralian Court Rejects Coal Mine on Climate Grounds 0219.rtfUS Coal Use Drops to Lowest Level since 1979 - 1218.rtfEven in Indiana, New Renewables Are Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants 1018.rtfOne of Oldest Coal Companies in US Files for Bankruptcy 1018.rtfFossil Fuels Account for Lowest % of U.S. Energy Use in over a Century 0718.rtfIndia's Huge Solar Ambitions Could Push Coal Further into the Shade 0618.rtfThe Fossil Fuel Industry Is Weaker than Ever 0618.rtfCoal Generator That Trump Tried to Save Files for Bankruptcy 0418.rtfMajority of Australians Support Phasing Out Coal Power by 2030 - 0318.rtfGroup Pushing Climate Skepticism Tries to Save Coal Plants 0218.rtfNew Renewables Will Be Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants by Early 2020s - Utility CEO 0118.rtfChina Construction Bank Won't Grant Loan for Adani Coal Mine Project 1217.rtf - World’s 2nd largest bank follows otehr Chinese banks in passing over big Australia project.The 'Kodak Moment' for Coal - Why the Adani Mine Could Be a Financial Disaster 1117.rtf - when digital replaced Kodak filmIndia Battles to Balance the Economy and the Environment 1117.rtfThe War on Coal Is Over. Coal Lost. 1017.rtfCoal in Decline - Adani in Question and Australia Out of Step 0817.rtfPush for New Coal-Fired Power Station in Queensland 'Nonsense' – State Minister 0717.rtfEnergy Economics Group Says Export Market for Australian Coal Will Decline 0717.rtfCoal’s Decline Not Hurting Power Grid Reliability, Study Says 0617.rtfAs Solar and Wind Prices Fall, Coal’s Future is Fading Fast, BNEF Says 0617.rtfPruitt Says Coal Losses Make the Grid Vulnerable. Not Really 0617.rtfStates’ Appetite for Coal Shrinks, except in Nebraska 0517.rtfCoal Country’s Power Plants Are Turning Away From Coal 0517.rtfNew Coal Mines Will Worsen Poverty and Escalate Climate Change 0517.rtfChina Is Planning Ahead for Life after Coal 0517.rtfBritain Set to Have Its 1st Coal-Free Electricity Day Since Industrial Revolution 0417.rtfBig, Young Coal power Plants Are Closing. Is It a New Trend? 0417.rtfIndia's Coal Plants Are Being Shelved at a Rapid Pace 0417.rtfChased by Drought, Rising Costs, and Clean Technology, India Pivots on Coal-Fired Power 0417.rtfCoal Is on the Way Out at Electric Utilities, No Matter What Trump Says 0417.rtfEU Energy Companies Pledge No New Coal Plants after 2020 - 0417.rtfWhy One Powerful Republican Doubts Trump's Climate Policy 0317.rtf - Utility commissioner sees carbon price in th future. Non-coal is the cheapest course for the future.How Trump's Moves on Coal Will Affect the Industry 0317.rtfTop US Coal Boss Robert Murray - Trump ‘Can't Bring Mining Jobs Back' 0317.rtfPlans for Coal-Fired Power Plants Globally Drop by Almost Half in 2016 - 0317.rtfEarly Surge in US Coal Usage in 2017 May Not Last 0317.rtfChina's Coal Consumption Falls for 3rd Year in a Row, 4.7% 0217.rtfHow EU Can Limit Coal’s Life for the Cost of a Pint of Beer 0217.rtfIndonesia’s Last Stand for a Coal Industry in Peril 0217.rtfAustralia’s CEFC Warns against Risky Investment in ‘Clean Coal' Technology 0217.rtf

Fossil Fuels Account for Lowest % of U.S. Energy Use in over a Century 0718.rtf

2016 Articles and older

India Plans Nearly 60% of Electricity Capacity from Non-Fossil Fuels by 2027 - 1216.rtf - no new coal till at least 2027Electricity from Coal Should Be Phased Out in Australia – Senate Report 1116.rtfMore Coal Plants Will Deepen Poverty - Not Cut It, Researchers Warn 10116.rtfRenewable Energy Capacity Overtakes Coal 1016.rtfIndia’s Solar Power Is Set to Outshine Coal 1016.rtfCoal Electricity Generation Falls to Record UK Low This Spring 0916.rtfGalilee Basin Coal Must Be Left in Ground as a ‘Priority’ – New Report 0916.rtfGlobal Coal Power Plans Fall in 2016, Led by China, India 0916.rtfCoal India’s Production Boom Bulldozes Villages 0716.rtfCoal and Gas to Stay Cheap. But Renewables Still Win Race on Costs 0616.rtfSolar, Wind on Pace to Eclipse Coal-Burning 0616.rtfCoal Production in US Plummets to Lowest Level in 35 Years 0616.rtfNSW Report Banks on Delusion of Rising Coal Output, Royalties Out to 2056 - 0516.rtfAs Drought Grips South Africa, a Conflict over Water and Coal 0516.rtfCoal's Stranded Assets 0516.rtf - Coal reserves are not counted. 9 of world’s 12 biggest coal companies are bankrupt or don’t earn enough to pay their interest bills.Plans for Coal-Fired Power in Asia Are ‘Disaster for Planet', Warns World Bank 0516.rtfChina Curbs Plans for 200 More Coal-Fired Power Plants 0416.rtfSolar Power Sets New British Record by Beating Coal for a Day 0416.rtfPeabody, the Global Coal Mining Leader, Files for Bankruptcy 0416.rtfUS Coal Industry on a Steep Decline, as Cheap Natural Gas Rises 0416.rtfCoal Power Glut Puts $US1 Trillion of Investment at Risk 0316.rtfPeabody Coal's Bankruptcy Would Be Rocket Fuel to End Fossil Fuel Investment 0316.rtfCoal Suffering Bleak Year in China, on Weakening Industrial Use 0316.rtf - China’s coal use to fall 2% this year, on top of 3.7% decline in 2015 and 2.9% in 2014.Water Shortage in Northern China Tied to Coal Plants 0316.rtfIs It Game Over for Coal? 0316.rtfAs Coal’s Future Grows Murkier, Banks Pull Financing 0316.rtfUS Mining Companies Pay Far Less than They Should for Taxpayer-Owned Coal 0316.rtfCheap Federal Coal Supports Largest U.S. Producers 0316.rtfPeabody Energy's Demise Parallels the Decline of King Coal 0316.rtfUtilities Cut Coal Use Amid Clean Power Plan Fight 0316.rtf2nd Year of China Coal Cuts Might Bring Its Emissions Peak Closer 0316.rtfMove to Cleaner Power Is Proceeding, regardless of Supreme Court’s Ruling 0216.rtfAGL Exits NSW, Queensland Coal Seam Gas 0216.rtfFederal Coal Sales Moratorium Shakes Industry Stronghold 0216.rtfIndia Coal Plant Developer Switches to Solar for Site in Punjab 0116.rtfAustralian Coal Mines Are One of Riskiest Investments in the World 0116.rtfExxon Sees a World with Less Carbon, with Higher-Cost Emissions 0116.rtfChina’s Coal Use Declines as Electricity Demand Falls Flat 0116.rtfNatural Gas Likely Overtook Coal as Top U.S. Power Source in 2015 - 0116.rtfChina's Coal-Burning in Significant Decline, Figures Show 0116.rtfMore US Solar Jobs than Oil + Gas Extraction & Pipeline Jobs Combined In 2015 - 0116.rtfThe Coal Industry Is Off to a Terrible, Very Bad Year 0116.rtfArch Coal, 2nd Largest Coal Miner in US, Files for Bankruptcy 0116.rtfU.S. Coal Production Dropped to 30-Year Low in 2015 - 0116.rtfHeat Waves, Drought May Curb Global Power Output 0116.rtfPolish Government Chokes on Coal 1215.rtfCoal Plans Would Derail 2°C Warming Target 1215.rtfTurks Rally for Coal-Free Future on 1st Day of G20 - 1115.rtfPeabody [Coal] Energy Agrees to Greater Disclosures of Financial Risks 1115.rtfAnalysts Expect Bankruptcy for Arch Coal, Reflecting Industry Woes 1115.rtfCoal Not Coming Back, Appalachian Power President Says 1015.rtfOil, Coal Companies Risk Plague of Lawsuits as Climate Change Tide Turns 1015.rtfStudy Suggests Fossil Fuel Demand Is Beginning a Nosedive 1015.rtfU.S. Leads Industrialized Nations in Shift from Coal 1015.rtfIndia's Coal-Fueled Economy Takes a Toll on Environment and Rural Villagers 1015.rtfChina's Economic Shift to Aid Climate Fight but Packs a Commodity Punch 1015.rtfCoal, Which Built Chinese City of Fushun, Now Threatens to Bury It 1015.rtf'Clean Coal' Group Downsizing, amid Industry Struggles 0915.rtfFading Coal Industry in China May Offer Chance to Aid Climate 0915.rtfThis Ohio Utility Has a Plan to Save Coal Power - Force Customers to Buy It 0915.rtfIs It Too Late to Stop Turkey's Coal Rush? 0815.rtfKing Coal, Long Besieged, Is Deposed by the Market 0815.rtfCheap Power or Clean Energy? India’s $200 Billion Dilemma 0715.rtfChina’s Anti-Pollution Drive Starts to Bite on Sales of Coal 0715.rtfCoal Is Losing the War on Coal & Its Enemies Are Multiplying 0715.rtfChina June Coal Output Fell Nearly 5% from a Year Ago - Stats Bureau 0715.rtfGas Overtakes Coal at US Power Stations 0715.rtf - 31 vs 30% in April. US coal share prices are down 98 to 99.6% since April 2011. Coal bonds are junk, with 17.9% rate. As junk evidence, Arch Coal offered 45¢ to retire each $1 of its debt.New Coal Plants ‘Most Urgent' Threat to the Planet, Warns OECD Head 0715.rtfHow China, the World's Biggest Polluter, Is Dealing with Climate Change 0715.rtf“Coal Is Not Dead’ - Aussie Study Describes Forces behind Coal Renaissance 0715.rtf - World coal use grew strongly from 1990 to 2011. But the study ignores negative growth since then. Australian coal beats other coal exporters.French (& Other) Banks Won’t Invest in Bangladesh’s Rampal Coal Plant 0615.rtfUS Coal Industry Fighting for Survival on 7 Fronts 0615.rtf - 7 sets of regulations, 2 of them about CO2How Renewable Energy in South Africa Is Quietly Stealing a March on Coal 0615.rtfInside the War on Coal 0515.rtfChina's CO2 Emissions Have Been Plummeting Lately. What's Going On? 0515.rtf - unreliable statistics? war on coal?Over January-April, from 2014, China Cut Coal Use, CO2 as Much as UK Uses 0515.rtf - coal down 8%, CO2 5%In China, a Tug of War over Coal Gas - Cleaner Air But Worse for the Climate 0515.rtfChina to Expand Coal Ban to Suburbs 0515.rtfChina Can Cut Cord on Coal (Mostly) by 2050 - 0415.rtf - See Renewables page for PDF and 3 graphs excerpted from it.Carbon Reserves Held by Top Fossil Fuel Companies Soar 0415.rtfThousands Protest against Coal-Fired Power Plant in Heyuan, China 0415.rtfWhy China Should Make Cutting Coal Power Its #1 Goal 0415.rtfUS Coal Industry Lost Nearly 50,000 Jobs in Just 5 Years 0415.rtfUS Coal Sector in ‘Structural Decline', Financial Analysts Say 0315.rtf‘Ugly' Balance Sheets May Lead Coal Companies to ‘Run Out of Time' 0315.rtfChina’s Push to Cut Coal Use May Be Bad News for U.S. Exporters 0315.rtfMirroring Oil, Coal Price Is Plunging Too 0215.rtfCoal Industry Waits For Market to Turn 0215.rtfChina 2014 Coal Output Down 2.5%,1st Drop in a Decade 0115.rtfLosing Streak Continues for U.S. Coal Export Terminals 0115.rtfTexas Becoming Less Reliant on Coal to Generate Electricity 1214.rtfChina to Slow Down New Coal-to-Gas Projects a Lot, to Cut CO2 Emissions 1214.rtf - Water too!How the 'War on Coal' Went Global 1214.rtfChu Sees Genuine China Coal Retreat 1214.rtfChina's Carbon Goal a Tough Sell in Coal Country 1214.rtfAmbre Energy Selling Oregon, Washington Coal Export Terminals as Coal Price Slumps 1114.rtfCoal versus Climate in Australia 1114.rtfCoal Industry Does Almost Nothing to Ease Energy Poverty 1114.rtfChina's Coal Use Is Actually Falling Now, for the 1st Time This Century 1014.rtfChina's Coal Imports Drop for 1st Time Since It Became Net Coal Importer 1014.rtfCoal Industry's Appalachian Woes Go Beyond Gas, EPA Rules 1014.rtfGreen Village to Be Bulldozed to Mine Lignite, as Germany Goes Non-Nuclear 0914.rtfChina May Be Ready to Kick Coal Habit 0914.rtfDirtiest U.S. Coal Becoming Most Popular, Due to New EPA Rules 0914.rtfChina's 'War on Pollution' Sees Coal Drop for First Time in Century 0814.rtfCoal’s Reign Ebbing in U.K. May Delay New Plants 0814.rtfDirtiest Fuel Threatens 700-Year-Old Villages in Europe 0814.rtfWhat Beijing Abandoning Coal Means for the Rest of the World 0814.rtfSmoggy Beijing to Ban Coal Use 0814.rtfCoal Company Pain Accelerates, as Bankruptcy Cases Rise 0714.rtfChina's Coal Industry Says Times Are Hard, Outlook Worse 0714.rtfEnd of the Coal Era in Massachusetts 0614.rtfCoal Missing Boom, as Climate Foes Clean Asia’s Backyard 0514.rtfBeginning of the End for Coal? Citi Sees Structural Decline. 0514.rtfChina’s Thirsty Coal Industry Guzzles Precious Water 0514.rtfChina Slashes Spending on New Fossil-Fuel Power Plants 0514.rtfBattle Looms Over Renewable Energy; Fossil Fuel Interests Are Losing 0414.rtfChina's Coal Boom Is Slowing — That's a Big Deal for Climate Change 0414.rtfCoal Port Builders - Help, We’re Being Outgunned 0414.rtfWar on Coal - Phony or Real? 1113.rtfAppalachian Fall 0913.rtfCoal Push Strains an Already Water-Stressed China 0913.rtfCoal’s Future Darkens Around the World 0913.rtfU.S. Coal Companies Scale Back Export Goals 0913.rtfFacing Tough Market at Home, US Coal Giant Peabody Pushes Overseas 0713.rtfAre Gas & Climate Goals Flattening US Coal Giant's Stock Price? 0713.rtfChina's Soaring Coal Use Makes Its Water Scarcity Much Worse 0713.rtfCoal Shares Plunge Ahead of Obama’s Climate-Change Speech 0613.rtfSupreme Court to Hear EPA Appeal on Cross-State Pollution Rule 0613.rtfNew Carbon Pollution Rules Could Still Be Years Away 0613.rtfAustralian Coal Industry Report Warns Against Leaving Carbon in the Ground 0613.rtfIn Montana, Ranchers Line Up Against Coal 0413.rtfProposed Coal Shipping Terminal Bites the Dust 0513.rtfCoal Power’s Water Demands Drying Up Northern China 0313.rtfTexas Discourages Big Coal Plant 0213.rtfBooming Coal Exports Threaten Great Barrier Reef 0213.rtfCoal Plant Economics & CO2 0207.pdf - 32 pp of slidesWar on Coal Being Won in US, Lost in Asia 1112.rtfOver 1200 Global Coal Plants Planned 1112.rtfCHP Can Replace Retiring US Coal Plants 0912.rtfChina to Cut Coal Use in Key Industrial Regions 0613.rtfIn Top Coal State, Gas to Fuel Next Power Plant 0513.rtfChina’s Hunger for American Coal in Doubt 0513.rtf

Inside the War on Coal 0515.rtf - US. Note how little coal capacity is being added: in Wyoming and NW Texas. Even in Wyoming, far more new MW will come from wind than coal. The apparent coal-fired addition east of Santa Maria CA is a puzzle. A very efficient gas-fired power plant opened there in ~2012, but news of such a coal plant is not to be found.

US Coal Industry Lost Nearly 50,000 Jobs in Just 5 Years 0415.rtf

China's Coal Boom Is Slowing — That's a Big Deal for Climate Change 0414.rtf

Making Coal Costlier

Articles

New Wind & Solar Are Cheaper than Operating 99% of US Coal Power Plants 0123.rtfU.S. Coal Prices Top $100 a Ton for 1st Time Since 2008 - 0422.rtfCoal Financing Costs Surge as Investors Opt for Renewable Energy 0421.rtfCoal Earnings Set to Plunge 50% in North America, Moody’s Says 0620.rtfNearly Half of Global Coal Plants Will Be Unprofitable This Year 0420.rtfCoal-Reliant Philippines Struggles to Power Up Clean Energy 0518.rtfClick for more

Half of All U.S. Coal Plants Would Lose Money Without Regulation 0318.rtfChina Risks Wasting $490 Billion on Coal Plants 1116.rtfMining Companies Pay Far Less than They Should for Taxpayer-Owned Coal 0316.rtfCheap Federal Coal Supports Largest U.S. Producers 0316.rtfSolar Power May Be Cheaper than Coal in India by 2020 -1 115.rtfCoal Not Coming Back, Appalachian Power President Says 1015.rtfAmeren (St. Louis+ Electric Utility) Report Outlines Issues with Carbon Rules 0215.rtfGrand Island, Nebraska Coal Power Plant Upgrade Complete 1214.rtfFrance to Stop Credits for Coal Projects in Developing Countries 1114.rtfChina Bid to Curb Coal Output Seen Lifting Prices by 10% - 0914.rtfEPA Climate Rule Economically Feasible, Study Says 0714.rtfWall Street Demands Answers from Producers on Unburnable Carbon 1013.rtfSocial Costs of Electricity from Coal Make It Uneconomical 0913.rtfCoal at Risk as Global Lenders Drop Financing on Climate 0813.rtfSouthern Co. Absorbs $450M More Losses for Over-Budget Miss. Coal Plant 0713.rtfWorld Bank to Limit Financing of Coal-Fired Plants 0713.rtfCoal Shares Plunge Ahead of Obama’s Climate-Change Speech 0613.rtfSupreme Court to Hear EPA Appeal on Cross-State Pollution Rule 0613.rtfObama Readies Power Plant CO2 Emissions Limits 0613.rtfUS Coal Industry Is in Even More Trouble after 2016 0413.rtfIdaho Power Faces Costly Decision on Old Coal Plants 0213.rtfAging Coal Plants Trigger Mission Bankruptcy 1212.rtfAnother 59 GW of US Coal Power Too Costly to Run 1112.rtfMore US Coal Plants to Retire Due to Green Rules 1012.rtfEPA Transport Rule Won't Hurt Electric Reliability 0810.rtfEPA Transport Rule to Cut Emissions Deeply 0710.rtfFinancing US Coal Plants Gets Tougher 0208.rtfCoal Is a Risky Proposition Exec Sum 0511.pdf

Solar Power May Be Cheaper than Coal in India by 2020 - 1115.rtf - prices below are in Rupees (~1.5¢US): 0-16 Rupees/kWh

Power Plant Closings & Decarbonization

2018-2025 Articles

Ireland Shuts Last Coal Plant as Europe’s Phaseout Accelerates 0625.rtfUK Emissions Fell 3.6% in 2024, as Coal Use Dropped to Lowest since 1666 - 0325.rtfU.K., Home of the Industrial Revolution, Shuts Its Last Coal-Fired Power Plant 0924.rtfSouth Africa’s Eskom Plans to Swap Coal for Renewables, Nuclear 0724.rtfNew England’s Last Coal Plants Will Close by 2028 - 0324.rtfIndonesia Speeds Up Landmark Closing of Java Coal Plant 1223.rtf - Indonesia says it will meet goal only with financing from developed countries. Poland and teh Phiippines are a bit similar.DTE Electric to Speed Michigan Coal Retirements, Renewable & Energy Storage 0723.rtfHow Is Colorado Doing in Shutting Down Coal Power Plants? 0523.rtfClick for more

Australia Is Quitting Coal in Record Time, Thanks to Tesla 0423.rtfCoal Use Seen Peaking Next Year, as India and China Determine Future 0323.rtfVietnam Nears $11+ Billion Deal to Shift Economy from Coal 1122.rtfClimate Pact Led by US and Japan Set to Offer Indonesia $15 Billion to Ditch Coal 1122.rtfIndonesia Needs $37 Billion to Shut Coal-Fired Plants 1022.rtfTesla Megapacks Are About to Replace Hawaii’s Last Remaining Coal Plant 0622.rtfHow Australia Is Transforming Grids Away From Coal Power 0522.rtfNew Jersey’s Last Coal Power Plants to Close 0322.rtfBiggest Australia Coal Plant to Shut Early, as Renewables Surge 0222.rtfDuke Energy Plans to Exit All Coal, Double Renewables 0222.rtfGeorgia Power Takes Next Step in Shutting Coal Plants 0122.rtfNevada Regulators Approve Solar+Storage to Replace Coal-Fired Plant 0122.rtfSlovenia Pledges to Stop Burning Coal for Electricity by 2033 - 0122.rtfU.S. To See Wave of Coal Power Retirements, While Oil Output Ramps Up 0122.rtfIdaho Power to Accelerate Coal Retirements, Add 3.8 GW Clean Energy 0122.rtfAustralia’s Coal Power Plants Likely to Shut 3 X Faster than Earlier Expected 1221.rtfPortugal Becomes 4th EU Country to Stop Using Coal to Make Electricity 1121.rtfCountries Promise Coal Phase-out and End to Fossil Fuel Finance 1121.rtfIndonesia and Philippines Join Plan to Shut Coal Plants Early 1121.rtfDuke Explores Shutting Coal-Fired Plants by 2030 in South Carolina Plans 0921.rtfSouth Carolina Regulators OK Dramatically Revamped Dominion IRP 0621.rtf - retire its last 3 coal plants by 2030Poland to Close Europe’s Most Polluting Power Plant by 2036 - 0621.rtfClosing All of Southern Company’s Georgia Coal Plants ‘on the Table’ 0521.rtf1 of 10 Largest US Coal Plants Just Got a Retirement Date. What About the Rest? 0521.rtf - Two in Georgia cost more than 5¢/kWh to run and are ripe for retirement. But the others cost 2.9 to 4.1¢/kWh to run and thus are not so ripe for retirement.Dominion Proposes Ending Its South Carolina Coal Generation by 2030 - 0221.rtfFinal Coal-Burning Plant Closes 9 Years after Washington Law to Cut Emissions 1220.rtfChile’s AES Gener Shuts Down Coal Power Plant, Pushes to End CO2 Emissions 1220.rtfFossil Fuel Power Plant Era Is Rapidly Receding. Here Is Their Life Expectancy. 1220.rtfIndia May Close Its Dirtiest Coal Plants as Green Focus Grows 1020.rtfIn 2020, the Global Coal Fleet Shrank for 1st Time on Record 0820.rtfJapan May Close 100 Old Coal Units by 2030 to Hit Emissions Goal 0720.rtfSweden Closes Last Coal Plant 2 Years Early 0420.rtfAustria Ends Coal Era and Commits to More Renewable Energy 0420.rtfPhilippines’ Oldest Conglomerate to Get Out of Coal by 2030 - 0420.rtfNew York’s Last Coal-Fired Power Plant to Retire Tuesday 0320.rtfShuttering US Coal Plants Saved 26,000 Lives over a Decade 0120.rtf2 of America’s Biggest Coal Plants Closed This Month 1119.rtfDTE Pledges Carbon-Free Power by 2050, Banking on Utility-Scale Storage, Small Nuclear, CCS 0919.rtfPacifiCorp to Quicken Move Away from Coal-Fired Power 1019.rtfShare of Coal in UK's Electricity System Falls to Record Lows 0819.rtfIllinois Is Taking Another Step Away from Its Dirtiest Electricity Source 0619.rtfClose Coal Plants to Save Money Is Indiana Utility's Plan 0419.rtf'Peak Coal in Sight’, as New Power Stations Drop and Retirements Jump 0319.rtfDutch to Close Amsterdam Coal-Fired Power Plant 4 Years Early 0319.rtfTVA Votes to Close 2 Coal Plants, Despite Trump and Kentucky GOP 0219.rtfGeorgia Power Proposes Edging Further Away from Coal 0219.rtfGermany Sets Deadline to End Coal Use by 2038 - 0119.rtfPresident Trump Can't Stop U.S. Coal Plants from Retiring 0119.rtfIsrael to Stop Electricity Production from Coal by 2030 - 1218.rtfEven in Indiana, New Renewables Are Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants 1018.rtfXcel Plans to Shut 660 MW of Coal, Build 1.8 GW Renewables in Colorado 0618.rtfDuke Energy’s Climate Report Charts Path to Reduce Coal Use by 2030 - 0318.rtfGOP Is Trying to Prop Up Coal, but Plants Keep Closing 0318.rtfChina Beats 2017 Coal-Fired Power Capacity Reduction Target - Xinhua 0318.rtfConsumers Energy to Stop Burning Coal by 2040 - 0218.rtfFrance Is Officially Shutting All Coal-Fired Power Plants in 3 Years 0118.rtf

Australia Is Quitting Coal in Record Time, Thanks to Tesla 0423.rtf

How Australia Is Transforming Grids Away From Coal Power 0522.rtf

Poland to Close Europe’s Most Polluting Power Plant by 2036 - 0621.rtf

Fossil Fuel Power Plant Era Is Rapidly Receding. Here Is Their Life Expectancy. 1220

In 2020, the Global Coal Fleet Shrank for 1st Time on Record 0820

2017 Articles and earlier

Xcel Learns to Forecast Wind, Then Shuts Coal Plants 1217.rtfCanada, Britain to Tout Coal Phase-Out as U.S. Champions Fossil Fuels 1117.rtfGerman Coal Mining Could End by 2030s, Says Merkel’s Coalition Negotiator 1117.rtfCoal Plant Closures Are Coming to Texas. So What Market Changes Are Needed? 1017.rtfChina Energy Regulator Raises Targets for Curbing Coal-Fired Power 0817.rtfBeijing Aims to Curb City's Use of Coal by 2020 - 0717.rtfWest Virginia Coal Production Decline Expected to Continue 0617.rtfThe World’s Largest Coal Mining Company Is Closing 37 Sites 0617.rtfMassachusetts Closes Door on Coal, Looks to New Beginnings 0617.rtfChina Creates World's 1st Coal-to-Ethanol Production Line 0317.rtfNV Energy Pulls Plug on Coal-Fired Power Plant near Vegas 0317.rtfCoal Plants Keep Closing on Trump's Watch 0217.rtfThai Junta Puts Coal-Fired Power Plant Plan on Hold 0217.rtfWest’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing 0217.rtfDevelopers Withdraw Bellingham Coal Terminal Applications, Ending Project 0217.rtfWest’s Largest Coal Plant May Close, Latest of Many. 0117.rtfChina Halts over 100 Coal Power Projects 0117.rtfMichigan's Biggest Electric Provider Phasing Out Coal, despite Trump 1116.rtfAlberta Reaches $1.36 Billion Deal to Shut Down Coal Plants 1116.rtfOttawa to Phase Out Canadian Coal by 2030 - 1116.rtfBritain's Last Coal Power Plants to Close by 2025 - 1116.rtf7 Texas Coal Plants Could Close in Coming Years 0916.rtfPuget Sound Energy Agrees to Shut Part of Montana Coal-Power Plant 0716.rtfSouth Korea Considers Shutdown of Old Coal Power Plants to Cut Emissions 0616.rtfCoal Plants Disappeared from MidContinent ISO -- and So Did Demand 0516.rtfGermany to Exit Coal Power ‘Well before 2050' - 0516.rtfRapid Decline of Coal Use Leads to 4% Drop in UK Emissions 0316.rtfScotland Closes Its Last Coal-Fired Power Plant 0316.rtfPeabody Energy Flags Bankruptcy Risk, after Skipping Interest Payment 0316.rtfUS Coal Power Plant Retirements Surge 0316.rtfConnecticut's Last Coal-Fired Power Plant to Be Closed 0216.rtfCoal Slides to New Low as Source of US Electricity 0116.rtfOregon Utilities Agree to Phase Out Coal-Fired Power 0116.rtfChina to Halt New Coal Mine Approvals, amid Pollution Fight 1215.rtfPolish Government Chokes on Coal 1215.rtfMass Layoffs in China’s Coal Country Threaten Unrest 1215.rtfMissing Climate Goals, Dutch Mull Closing Coal Plants 1115.rtfUK's Coal Plants 'to Be Phased Out within 10 Years' 1115.rtfMerkel's `Black Gold' Loses Shine, as Lignite Phase-Out Begins 1015.rtfU.K. Said to Consider Closing All Coal-Fired Plants by 2023 - 1015.rtfNumber of U.S. Coal Mines Falls to Lowest on Record 0915.rtfIowa Utility Will Phase Out Coal At 5 Plants 0715.rtfOhio University, in Coal Country, to Switch from Coal to Natural Gas 0715.rtfBluer Skies? Beijing Picks up Pace in Cutting Coal Dependence 0715.rtfGermany to Shut Down 2.7 GW of Coal-Fired Plants, Extend Power Grid 0715.rtfInside the War on Coal 0515.rtfKentucky May Accidentally Comply With EPA's Clean Power Plan 0515.rtfDuke Plans Natural Gas-Fired Plant in Asheville to Replace Coal One 0515.rtfHere’s What China Closing Coal-Power Plants Means for Emissions 0415.rtfAustralia’s AGL to Shut All Coal Power Plants by 2050, to Limit Global Warming 0415.rtfEnd of an Era - Mercury Rule Shutters Utah's Oldest Power Plant.rtfMichigan State University President Announces Coal Phase-Out 0415.rtfGeorgia Power’s Yates Plant to Shut Down Coal Units by Mid-April 0315.rtfBeijing to Shut All Major Coal Power Plants to Cut Pollution 0315.rtf1,000 MW HVDC Line from Ontario Replaces Pennsylvania Coal Plants 0315.rtfChina's Coal Usage Targeted in New Energy Plan 0315.rtfKansas City Power & Light Will Stop Using Coal at Some of Its Generating Units 0115.rtfEU’s Biggest Coal Group to Cut Jobs, Close Mines to Survive 0115.rtfChinese Coal Demand Fell in 2014 - 0115.rtf‘Worst of Worst’ Coal Project in Indonesia’s Kalimantan in Doubt After Snub 1214.rtfChina Government Plans More Coal Mine Closures Through 2016 - 1214.rtfGermany May Shut Down 8 More Coal Power Plants 1114.rtfVictorian State Election 2014 - Will Market Force Out Coal Power Stations? 1114.rtfDenmark Considers Phasing Out Coal by 2025, in Big Green Shift 1114.rtfArizona Public Service Will Close 1 of the 4 Generators at Cholla Power Plant 0914.rtfTVA Agrees to Shut Down 18 Coal-Fired Boilers and Curb Emissions 0414.rtfTVA Closing 8 Coal Units at Plants in Alabama and Kentucky 1113.rtfCentral Government Condones Locals Destroying Coal Plant Near Beijing 0214.rtfChina to Shut Coal Mines in Safety Overhaul 1013.rtfMinnesota’s Largest Coal Unit to Restart, Despite Concerns over Emissions 1013.rtfLargest Coal-Fired Plant in New England to Close by 2017 - 1013.rtfBuffett Says Coal’s Slide to Be Permanent, Yet Gradual 0713.rtfUS Won’t Fund a Massive Coal Plant in Vietnam 0713.rtfCoal's Slipping Grip - Death of a Georgia Coal Plant 0713.rtfCoal's Slipping Grip - New England Leads the Way 0713.rtfFor East Texas Coal Belt, Dread over New Climate-Change Rules 0613.rtfSun Sets on 2 More US Coal Plant Projects 0613.rtfHow Ontario Is Ending Coal Power 0413.rtfAEP to Stop Burning Coal at Ohio Power Plant 0213.rtfOntario Phases Out Coal 0113.rtfGeorgia Power to Close 15 Coal Units 0113.rtfCoal Is a Risky Proposition 1012.rtf9 More Coal Plants to Close 0212.rtfThe Good News About Coal 0611.rtfEPA Regs May Shut 50 GW of Coal 1210.rtfPower Sector Decarbonizing 0910.rtfEPA Freezes New Coal Plants 1108.rtf

China to Halt New Coal Mine Approvals, amid Pollution Fight 1215.rtf

Inside the War on Coal 0515.rtf

Kentucky May Accidentally Comply With EPA's Clean Power Plan 0515.rtf

Beginning of the End for Coal? Citi Sees Structural Decline. 0514.rtf

2 EIA coal plant retirement graphs, from about a year earlier.

Note the 37 GW increase in closings announced above, compared to below (earlier).

About the US

Age of US Coal-Fired Power Plants

Almost all the expected (as of Dec. 2010) 40-55 GW of coal-fired retirements in the US will take place at merchant power plants, which sell power into competitive wholesale markets, rather than at regulated-utility plants, which sell power to retail customers. Therefore, the effects will be concentrated in the Southeast (SERC), the mid-Atlantic (RFC), and Texas (ERCOT). The map and data below are from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

According to one analysis, the new regulations are expected to push approximately 25,000 - 40,000 MegaWatts (MW, or 25-40 GigaWatts (GW)) of smaller, older coal plants into retirement, in addition to the 5,000 MW of retirements that have already been announced. Another analysis estimated that 50,000 MW of capacity is "at risk" of retirement. A third analysis placed the total at 60,000 MW between 2013 and 2017.

China & Other Places

Articles

China Used More Coal Power Last Year, in Blow to Climate Efforts 0125.rtfChina Stands Almost Alone in Expanding Its Coal Power Fleet 0323.rtfChina’s Coal Power Boom Is More Complex than It Seems 0323.rtfChina’s Coal Plant Approvals Highest in 7 Years 0223.rtfChina to Host Almost 1:3 of the World’s New Coal Mines 0922.rtfChina’s Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit 0822.rtfChina’s Coal Demand Is Rebounding from a Covid-Induced Slump 0722.rtfClick for more

Chinese Premier Calls for More Coal Production as Electricity Demand Soars 0622.rtfChina Coal Expansions Threaten Higher Methane Levels Worldwide 0522.rtf12.8 GW of Chinese Overseas Coal Projects Axed, but 57 GW Could Still Proceed 0522.rtfChina’s Banks Are the Last Big Players in Coal Company Financing 0422.rtfCoal’s Comeback in India Shows Scale of Climate Challenge 0322.rtfChina Signals Coal Reliance to Continue with 3 New Large Mines 0222.rtfChina Issues Guidelines to Fight Pollution, Cut Emissions 1121.rtfChina Orders Coal Mines to Raise Production to Address Power Crunch 1021.rtfClimate Report from China 1021.rtf - coal shortage and consequent electricity shortagesChina Is Key to Saving Earth from Climate Change, but It Can’t Quit Coal. 0921.rtfChina’s Heat Wave Is Pushing Coal Prices Toward Record Level 0721.rtfChina Is Facing Its Worst Power Shortage in a Decade, a Whole-World Problem 0621.rtf - Drought has cut hydropower deeply. At the same time, coal mining is limited by mandate, to peak no later than 2025, per committment made to other nations. Massive suspension of coal mines across China for safety checks. Coal is expensive at home and to import. Guangdong province — over 10% of China's annual economic output — has been rationing power for over a month. Similar issues in at least 9 other provinces.China Generated over Half the World's Coal-Fired Electricity in 2020 - 0321.rtfDespite Pledges to Cut Emissions, China Goes on a Coal Building Spree 0321.rtfChina in Climate Denial? US Railroads Reverse Course on Warming. 0321.rtfChina Must Ban New Coal Power Plants to Meet 2060 Goal 1120.rtfYears after Freezing New Projects, China Resumes Building Coal Power Plants 1119.rtfPush for More Coal Power in China Imperils Climate 0319.rtfChina Expands Switch from Polluting Coal Heating in 2018- Environment Minister 0319.rtfDespite Climate Pledges, China Struggles to Break Coal Habit 1018.rtfChina's Coal Consumption Clouded in Mystery 0518.rtfChina Beats 2017 Coal-Fired Power Capacity Reduction Target - Xinhua 0318.rtfChoking on Beijing's Clean Air Costs 1217.rtf - Switching 200,000 to 3.5 or even 37 million rural households from dirty home coal stoves (bigger air polliution source than coal-fired power plants) to natural gas costs $1,250 to $1,540 per household.By 2020, Every Chinese Coal Plant Will Be More Efficient than Every US Coal 0517.rtfChina Creates World's 1st Coal-to-Ethanol Production Line 0317.rtfDespite Climate Change Vow, China Pushes to Dig More Coal 1116.rtfChina May Be Entering “Post-Coal Growth.” But Don’t Get Too Excited. 0816.rtfChina Pledged to Curb Coal Plants, but It’s Still Adding Them. 0716.rtfChina Curbs Plans for 200 More Coal-Fired Power Plants 0416.rtfIn Coal-Powered China, Electric Car Surge Fuels Fear of Worsening Smog 0116.rtfChina’s Coal Use Declines as Electricity Demand Falls Flat 0116.rtfMass Layoffs in China’s Coal Country Threaten Unrest 1215.rtfChina Burns Much More Coal Than Reported, Complicating Climate Talks 1115.rtf -
up to 17% more, as many factories didn’t report.China's Economic Shift to Aid Climate Fight but Packs a Commodity Punch 1015.rtfChinese Coal Data Cast Doubt on Historic Stalling of World CO2 - 0915.rtf
Over January-April, from 2014, China Cut Coal Use, CO2 as Much as UK Uses 0515.rtf - Coal down 8%, CO2 5%Thousands Protest against Coal-Fired Power Plant in Heyuan, China 0415.rtfChina 2014 Coal Output Down 2.5%,1st Drop in a Decade 0115.rtfChinese Coal Demand Fell in 2014 - 0115.rtfChina Government Plans More Coal Mine Closures Through 2016 - 1214.rtf
China to Slow Down New Coal-to-Gas Projects a Lot, to Cut CO2 Emissions 1214.rtf - Water too!China Will Cap Its Coal Consumption by 2020 - 1114.rtf - China’s new 5-Year Plan (2015-2020) calls for coal use to increase from 3.75 to 4.2 billion tons a year. It also calls for coal’s % of electricity generation to continue falling (from more than 70%), from 67% in 2013 to 62% in 2020. China has said it will peak coal use as soon as possible and will peak its CO2 emissios by 2030. Whether 4.2 billion tons is planned to be an all-time peak is open to interpretation. In fact, coal consumption in 2013-14 has fallen faster than the 2010-2015 Plan calls for.China, U.S. Agree to Limit Greenhouse Gases 1114.rtfChina Follows Through on its Climate Pledges 1114.rtfWhy Abbott's Faith in Coal Could Be Wrong - Very Wrong 1014.rtf - China coal use was down 6.7% for 2014 Q1-3, vs 2013 Q1-3.Coal Likely to Remain India's Energy Focus as It Battles for Jobs 1014.rtfShock China Coal Tariff Decision Throws Australian Free Trade Talks into Turmoil 1014.rtfChina's 'War on Pollution' Sees Coal Drop for First Time in Century 0814.rtf - down 1.8% for 2014 Q1-2 vs 2013 Q1-2China’s Plan to Limit Coal Use Could Spur Consumption for Years 0714.rtfChina's Coal Industry Says Times Are Hard, Outlook Worse 0714.rtfChina’s Solution to Coal’s Smog in Cities Increases Carbon Emissions 0514.rtfChina’s Thirsty Coal Industry Guzzles Precious Water 0514.rtfChina Slashes Spending on New Fossil-Fuel Power Plants 0514.rtfChina's Coal Boom Is Slowing — That's a Big Deal for Climate Change 0414.rtfBangladesh, Vulnerable to Climate Change, Turns to Coal Power 1113.rtfPoland Builds Electronic Wall to Keep Out German Renewables 1113.rtfPoland Seeks to Make 'Coal' a Less Dirty Word at U.N. Climate Talks 1113.rtf2 Australian Coal Mines Alone Will Emit More GHGs Than 52 Countries 1113.rtfNo Sign of King Coal's Demise, as Asian Demand Rises 1013.rtfKids Get Smog Day As Pollution Shuts Down China's Harbin 1013.rtfKey Mangrove Forest Faces Major Threat from a Coal Plant 1013.rtfJapan on Gas, Coal Power Building Spree to Fill Nuclear Void 1013.rtfCitibank- Expect Peak Coal in China by 2020 - 0913.rtfEurope Whets Appetite for Coal as US Eschews It 0913.rtfCoal Splutters as China Seeks Breath of Fresh Air 0913.rtfChina to Curb Coal Use to Combat Air Pollution 0913.rtfNew Coal-Fired Power Stations in Guangdong Will Kill Thousands 0813.rtfChina Uses Almost Half World's Coal 0113.rtfCoal Push Strains an Already Water-Stressed China 0913.rtfBurning Coal Shortens Lives in China 0713.rtfBeijing Finds That Dropping Coal Is Hard to Do 1012.rtfChina Leads in Clean Coal 0509.rtf

Coal’s Comeback in India Shows Scale of Climate Challenge 0322.rtf

2 Australian Coal Mines Alone Will Emit More GHGs Than 52 Countries 1113.rtf

This graph is from the China Energy Group at the US Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in "China Energy and Emission Paths to 2030 (2nd edition), as shown in the Citibank analysis that projects peak Chinese CO2 emissions by 2020. Bernstein projects a 2016 peak.

This Citibank graph has 2 IEA & 4 Citi curves.

The 4 Citi curves beneath the 2 IEA differ in economic growth & energy policy assumptions.

China Uses Almost Half World's Coal 0113.rtf

China's Projected Energy Mix

China Leads in Clean Coal 0509.rtf

US carbon intensity for electric generation in 2012 was 0.50 t CO2 / MWh, while China's was a bit more than 0.7. - USDOE/EIA

This projection for coal power is outdated. Peak coal in China was once projected for after 2030, but revised by China to 2026. Driving China’s coal peak earlier are:

horrible air pollution from coal
slower (4-6%/yr) GDP growth
natural gas revolution
huge wind & solar growth
more hydro & nukes
energy efficiency & clean coal.

A graph from the USDOE EIA. China's newest (ultra-supercritical) coal plants operate at 45% efficiency. China leads the world in the number of such efficient coal plants. As more old Chinese coal-fired power plants retire, the efficiency of China's coal-fired power plant fleet will rise. 45% is considerably more efficient than the EU average of 38%, and even more efficient compared to the old 33% rule of thumb in the U.S.

For comparison, the newest natural gas plants in the US achieve 56-60% efficiency, using combined jet engine and steam turbine cycles with the latest metallurgy, etc.