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

2017-2024 Articles

New US Climate Rules for Pollution Cuts ‘Probably Terminal’ for Coal-Fired Plants 0524

G7 to Sign Exit from Coal by 2035, but May Offer Leeway 0424

U.S. Carbon Emissions Fell in 2023, as Coal Use Tumbled to New Lows 0124

Global Coal Demand Expected to Decline in Coming Years - IEA 1223

Extending Australia’s Biggest Coal Plant Life Cost $1.7 Billion in Damages a Year 0923

‘Beginning of the End’ of Fossil Fuel Era Approaching, Says IEA 0923

Fighting Big Coal to Protect Famous South Korea Beach 0823

Solar Beats Coal in Europe for First Time - But There’s a Glitch 0623

India’s Workers Are Trapped in a Vicious Cycle of Coal and Heat 0523

Australia Court Blocks Giant Coal Mine on Human Rights Grounds 1122

Drought Threatens Coal Plant Operations - and Electricity - across the West 0822

Japan to End Financing of Key Coal Projects under Climate Pledge 0622

China Coal Expansions Threaten Higher Methane Levels Worldwide 0522

Tranquil Valley’s Triumph over Coal Shows Hurdles for Industry 0222

As Blackouts Loom, Indonesia’s Energy Crisis Highlights Its Coal Addiction 0122

India’s Clean Energy Got More Money from Loans Than Coal for 3rd Year 1221

Australia’s Coal Power Plants Likely to Shut 3 X Faster than Earlier Expected 1221

Half of World’s Fossil Fuel Assets Could Be Worthless by 2036 - 1121

Can South Africa Change One of the World’s Most Coal-Intensive Economies? 1021 - 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

Fossil-Fuel Use Could Peak in Just a Few Years. Still, Major Challenges Loom. 1021

7 Nations Join UN Pledge to Stop Building New Coal Power Plants 0921

Most Plans for New Coal Plants Scrapped since Paris Agreement 0921

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Still More Coal, Oil Must Be Left in the Ground to Curb Climate Change 0921

Half of China-Backed Overseas Coal Projects Shelved over 6 Years 0621

Coal Financing Costs Surge as Investors Opt for Renewable Energy 0421

Indonesian Campaigners Triumph against a Coal Mine in Top Court 0321

Blackjewel’s Bankruptcy Portends Trouble for the Plummeting US Coal Industry 0321

Coal-Fired Power Took a Beating during the Pandemic 0221

China Battles the World’s Biggest Coal Exporter, and Coal Is Losing 1220

Malaysian Bank to Phase Out Coal Finance 1220

2019 US Coal Production Hit Lowest Level since 1978 - 0720

Germany’s Coal Power Could Shut Down a Decade Early 0720

Coronavirus Crisis Could Cause $25 Trillion Fossil Fuel Industry Collapse 0620

Britain Goes Record 2 Months without Coal Power Generation 0620

UK Electricity Was Coal-Free for 1st Month Ever 0620

U.S. Renewables Outstrip Coal for 1st Time Since 19th Century 0520

In a 1st, Renewable Energy Is Poised to Eclipse Coal in U.S. 0520

The Pandemic Is Accelerating Coal’s Demise 0420

Coal Demand Set for Biggest Annual Drop Since World War II 0420

Sunny Spell Allows U.K. to Set Record for Coal-Free Days 0420

India’s Virus Lockdown Sees Clean Energy Gain at Coal’s Expense 0420

Utility-Scale Renewables Top Coal in US Electricity Generation for Entire Q1 2020 - 0420

Carbon Emissions Fall as Electricity Producers Move Away from Coal 0320

As Investors and Insurers Back Away, the Economics of Coal Turn Toxic 0320

India Gets Out of Coal 1219

2 of Largest Coal-Burning Utilities in US Ditch Pro-Coal Trade Group 1219

Coal Power Becoming ‘Uninsurable' as Firms Refuse Cover 1219

America's Largest Private Coal Miner Files for Bankruptcy 1019

Leading & Young Australian Engineers Turn Their Backs on New Fossil Fuel Projects 1019

Indonesia’s President Signals a Transition Away from Coal Power 0719

Can India Kick Its Coal Addiction? 0719

Major US Coal Company Files for Bankruptcy, Putting over 1,000 Jobs at Risk 0719

Bloomberg Pledges $500 Million to Close Coal-Fired Power Plants 0619

'Stranded Costs' Mount, as Coal Vanishes from the Grid 0519

A Major U.S. Utility Is Closing Its Coal-Fired Power Plants a Decade Early 0519

Cloud Peak Energy Voluntarily Files for Bankruptcy 0519

The World’s Last Coal Plant Will Soon Be Built 0519

Britain Goes a Week without Coal Power for 1st Time since 1882 - 0519

'Coal Is on the Way Out'- Fossil Fuels Now Pricier than Solar or Wind 0319

Coal Going from Winner to Loser in India's Energy Future 0219

Australia's Coal Future under Threat, as More Changes Hit Fossil Fuels Globally 0219

Australian Court Rejects Coal Mine on Climate Grounds 0219

US Coal Use Drops to Lowest Level since 1979 - 1218

Even in Indiana, New Renewables Are Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants 1018

One of Oldest Coal Companies in US Files for Bankruptcy 1018

India's Huge Solar Ambitions Could Push Coal Further into the Shade 0618

The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Weaker than Ever 0618

Coal Generator That Trump Tried to Save Files for Bankruptcy 0418

Majority of Australians Support Phasing Out Coal Power by 2030 - 0318

Group Pushing Climate Skepticism Tries to Save Coal Plants 0218

New Renewables Will Be Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants by Early 2020s - Utility CEO 0118

China Construction Bank Won't Grant Loan for Adani Coal Mine Project 1217 - 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 - when digital replaced Kodak film

India Battles to Balance the Economy and the Environment 1117

The War on Coal Is Over. Coal Lost. 1017

Coal in Decline - Adani in Question and Australia Out of Step 0817

Push for New Coal-Fired Power Station in Queensland 'Nonsense' – State Minister 0717

Energy Economics Group Says Export Market for Australian Coal Will Decline 0717

Coal’s Decline Not Hurting Power Grid Reliability, Study Says 0617

As Solar and Wind Prices Fall, Coal’s Future is Fading Fast, BNEF Says 0617

Pruitt Says Coal Losses Make the Grid Vulnerable. Not Really 0617

States’ Appetite for Coal Shrinks, except in Nebraska 0517

Coal Country’s Power Plants Are Turning Away From Coal 0517

New Coal Mines Will Worsen Poverty and Escalate Climate Change 0517

China Is Planning Ahead for Life after Coal 0517

Big, Young Coal power Plants Are Closing. Is It a New Trend? 0417

Britain Set to Have Its 1st Coal-Free Electricity Day Since Industrial Revolution 0417

India's Coal Plants Are Being Shelved at a Rapid Pace 0417

Chased by Drought, Rising Costs, and Clean Technology, India Pivots on Coal-Fired Power 0417

Coal Is on the Way Out at Electric Utilities, No Matter What Trump Says 0417

EU Energy Companies Pledge No New Coal Plants after 2020 - 0417

Why One Powerful Republican Doubts Trump's Climate Policy 0317 - Utility commissioner sees carbon price in th future. Non-coal is the cheapest course for the future.

Top US Coal Boss Robert Murray - Trump ‘Can't Bring Mining Jobs Back' 0317

How Trump's Moves on Coal Will Affect the Industry 0317

Plans for Coal-Fired Power Plants Globally Drop by Almost Half in 2016 - 0317

Early Surge in US Coal Usage in 2017 May Not Last 0317

China's Coal Consumption Falls for 3rd Year in a Row, 4.7% 0217

How EU Can Limit Coal’s Life for the Cost of a Pint of Beer 0217

Indonesia’s Last Stand for a Coal Industry in Peril 0217

Australia’s CEFC Warns against Risky Investment in ‘Clean Coal' Technology 0217

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

2016 Articles and older

India Plans Nearly 60% of Electricity Capacity from Non-Fossil Fuels by 2027 - 1216 - no new coal till at least 2027

Electricity from Coal Should Be Phased Out in Australia – Senate Report 1116

More Coal Plants Will Deepen Poverty - Not Cut It, Researchers Warn 10116

Renewable Energy Capacity Overtakes Coal 1016

India’s Solar Power Is Set to Outshine Coal 1016

Coal Electricity Generation Falls to Record UK Low This Spring 0916

Galilee Basin (Australia) Coal Must Be Left in Ground as a ‘Priority’ – New Report 0916

Global Coal Power Plans Fall in 2016, Led by China, India 0916

Coal India’s Production Boom Bulldozes Villages 0716

Coal and Gas to Stay Cheap. But Renewables Still Win Race on Costs 0616

Solar, Wind on Pace to Eclipse Coal-Burning 0616

Coal Production in US Plummets to Lowest Level in 35 Years 0616

NSW Report Banks on DELUSION of Rising Coal Output, Royalties Out to 2056 - 0516

As Drought Grips South Africa, a Conflict over Water and Coal 0516

Coal's Stranded Assets 0516 - 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

China Curbs Plans for 200 More Coal-Fired Power Plants 0416

Peabody, the Global Coal Mining Leader, Files for Bankruptcy 0416

Solar Power Sets New British Record by Beating Coal for a Day 0416

US Coal Industry on a Steep Decline, as Cheap Natural Gas Rises 0416

Coal Power Glut Puts $US1 Trillion of Investment at Risk 0316

Coal Suffering Bleak Year in China, on Weakening Industrial Use 0316
China’s coal use to fall 2% this year, on top of 3.7% decline in 2015 and 2.9% in 2014.

Peabody Coal's Bankruptcy Would Be Rocket Fuel to End Fossil Fuel Investment 0316

Water Shortage in Northern China Tied to Coal Plants 0316

Is It Game Over for Coal? 0316

As Coal’s Future Grows Murkier, Banks Pull Financing 0316

US Mining Companies Pay Far Less than They Should for Taxpayer-Owned Coal 0316

Cheap Federal Coal Supports Largest U.S. Producers 0316

Peabody Energy's Demise Parallels the Decline of King Coal 0316

Utilities Cut Coal Use Amid Clean Power Plan Fight 0316

2nd Year of China Coal Cuts Might Bring Its Emissions Peak Closer 0316

Move to Cleaner Power Is Proceeding, regardless of Supreme Court’s Ruling 0216

AGL Exits New South Wales, Queensland Coal Seam Gas 0216

Federal Coal Sales Moratorium Shakes Industry Stronghold 0216

India Coal Plant Developer Switches to Solar for Site in Punjab 0116

Australian Coal Mines Are One of Riskiest Investments in the World 0116

Exxon Sees a World with Less Carbon, with Higher-Cost Emissions 0116

China’s Coal Use Declines as Electricity Demand Falls Flat 0116

Natural Gas Likely Overtook Coal as Top U.S. Power Source in 2015 - 0116

China's Coal-Burning in Significant Decline, Figures Show 0116

More US Solar Jobs than Oil + Gas Extraction & Pipeline Jobs Combined In 2015 - 0116

The Coal Industry Is Off to a Terrible, Very Bad Year 0116

Arch Coal, 2nd Largest Coal Miner in US, Files for Bankruptcy 0116

Heat Waves, Drought May Curb Global Power Output 0116

Polish Government Chokes on Coal 1215

Coal Plans Would Derail 2°C Warming Target 1215

Turks Rally for Coal-Free Future on 1st Day of G20 - 1115

Peabody [Coal] Energy Agrees to Greater Disclosures of Financial Risks 1115

Analysts Expect Bankruptcy for Arch Coal, Reflecting Industry Woes 1115

Coal Not Coming Back, Appalachian Power President Says 1015

Oil, Coal Companies Risk Plague of Lawsuits, as Climate Change Tide Turns 1015

Study Suggests Fossil Fuel Demand Is Beginning a Nosedive 1015

U.S. Leads Industrialized Nations in Shift from Coal 1015

India's Coal-Fueled Economy Takes a Toll on Environment and Rural Villagers 1015

China's Economic Shift to Aid Climate Fight but Packs a Commodity Punch 1015

Coal, Which Built Chinese City of Fushun, Now Threatens to Bury It 1015

'Clean Coal' Group Downsizing, amid Industry Struggles 0915

Fading Coal Industry in China May Offer Chance to Aid Climate 0915

This Ohio Utility Has a Plan to Save Coal Power - Force Customers to Buy It 0915

Is It Too Late to Stop Turkey's Coal Rush? 0815

King Coal, Long Besieged, Is Deposed by the Market 0815

Cheap Power or Clean Energy? India’s $200 Billion Dilemma 0715

China’s Anti-Pollution Drive Starts to Bite on Sales of Coal 0715

Coal Is Losing the War on Coal & Its Enemies Are Multiplying 0715

China June Coal Output Fell Nearly 5% from a Year Ago - Stats Bureau 0715

Gas Overtakes Coal at US Power Stations 0715 - 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.

“Coal Is Not Dead’ - Aussie Study Describes Forces behind Coal Renaissance 0715 - World coal use grew strongly from 1990 to 2011. But the study ignores negative growth since then. Australian coal beats other coal exporters.

How China, the World's Biggest Polluter, Is Dealing with Climate Change 0715

New Coal Plants ‘Most Urgent' Threat to the Planet, Warns OECD Head 0715

French (& Other) Banks Won’t Invest in Bangladesh’s Rampal Coal Plant 0615

US Coal Industry Fighting for Survival on 7 Fronts 0615 - 7 sets of regulations, 2 of them about CO2

How Renewable Energy in South Africa Is Quietly Stealing a March on Coal 0615

China's CO2 Emissions Have Been Plummeting Lately. What's Going On? 0515 - unreliable statistics? war on coal?

Over January-April, from 2014, China Cut Coal Use and CO2 as Much as UK Uses 0515 - coal down 8%, CO2 5%

In China, a Tug of War over Coal Gas - Cleaner Air But Worse for the Climate 0515

China to Expand Coal Ban to Suburbs 0515

China Can Cut Cord on Coal (Mostly) by 2050 - 0415 - See Renewables page for PDF and 3 graphs excerpted from it.

Carbon Reserves Held by Top Fossil Fuel Companies Soar 0415

Thousands Protest against Coal-Fired Power Plant in Heyuan, China 0415

Why China Should Make Cutting Coal Power Its #1 Goal 0415

US Coal Sector in ‘Structural Decline', Financial Analysts Say 0315

‘Ugly' Balance Sheets May Lead Coal Companies to ‘Run Out of Time’ 0315

China’s Push to Cut Coal Use May Be Bad News for U.S. Exporters 0315

Mirroring Oil, Coal Price Is Plunging Too 0215

Coal Industry Waits For Market to Turn 0215

China 2014 Coal Output Down 2.5%,1st Drop in a Decade 0115

Losing Streak Continues for U.S. Coal Export Terminals 0115

Texas Becoming Less Reliant on Coal to Generate Electricity 1214

China to Slow Down New Coal-to-Gas Projects a Lot, to Cut CO2 Emissions 1214 - Water too!

How the 'War on Coal' Went Global 1214

Ex-DoE Secretary Chu Sees Genuine China Coal Retreat 1214

China's Carbon Goal a Tough Sell in Coal Country 1214

Ambre Energy Selling Oregon, Washington Coal Export Terminals as Coal Price Slumps 1114

Coal versus Climate in Australia 1114

Coal Industry Does Almost Nothing to Ease Energy Poverty 1114

China's Coal Imports Drop for 1st Time Since It Became Net Coal Importer 1014

China's Coal Use Is Actually Falling Now, for the 1st Time This Century 1014

Coal Industry's Appalachian Woes Go Beyond Gas, EPA Rules 1014

Green Village to Be Bulldozed to Mine Lignite, as Germany Goes Non-Nuclear 0914

China May Be Ready to Kick Coal Habit 0914

Dirtiest U.S. Coal Becoming Most Popular, Due to New EPA Rules 0914

China's 'War on Pollution' Sees Coal Drop for First Time in Century 0814

Coal’s Reign Ebbing in U.K. May Delay New Plants 0814

Dirtiest Fuel Threatens 700-Year-Old Villages in Europe 0814

What Beijing Abandoning Coal Means for the Rest of the World 0814

Smoggy Beijing to Ban Coal Use 0814

China's Coal Industry Says Times Are Hard, Outlook Worse 0714

Coal Company Pain Accelerates, as Bankruptcy Cases Rise 0714

End of the Coal Era in Massachusetts 0614

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

Coal Missing Boom, as Climate Foes Clean Asia’s Backyard 0514

China’s Thirsty Coal Industry Guzzles Precious Water 0514

China Slashes Spending on New Fossil-Fuel Power Plants 0514

Battle Looms Over Renewable Energy; Fossil Fuel Interests Are Losing 0414

War on Coal - Phony or Real? 1113

Toll on Coal 0913

Appalachian Fall 0913

Coal’s Future Darkens Around the World 0913

US Coal Companies Scale Back Export Goals 0913

Facing Tough Market at Home, US Coal Giant Peabody Pushes Overseas 0713

Are Gas & Climate Goals Flattening US Coal Giant's Stock Price? 0713

China's Soaring Coal Use Makes Its Water Scarcity Much Worse 0713

Coal Shares Plunge Ahead of Obama’s Climate-Change Speech 0613

Supreme Court to Hear EPA Appeal on Cross-State Pollution Rule 0613

New Carbon Pollution Rules Could Still Be Years Away 0613

Australian Coal Industry Report Warns Against Leaving Carbon in the Ground 0613

China to Cut Coal Use in Key Industrial Regions 0613

In Top Coal State, Gas to Fuel Next Power Plant 0513

China’s Hunger for American Coal in Doubt 0513

Proposed Coal Shipping Terminal Bites the Dust 0513

In Montana, Ranchers Line Up Against Coal 0413

Coal Power’s Water Demands Drying Up Northern China 0313

Texas Discourages Big Coal Plant 0213

Booming Coal Exports Threaten Great Barrier Reef 0213

War on Coal Being Won in US, Lost in Asia 1112

Over 1200 Global Coal Plants Planned 1112

Combined Heat & Power Can Replace Retiring US Coal Plants 0912

Coal Plant Economics & CO2 - Synapse 0207 - PDF, 32 pp of slides

Inside the War on Coal 0515 - 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

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

Making Coal Costlier

Articles

New Wind & Solar Are Cheaper than Operating 99% of US Coal Power Plants 0123

U.S. Coal Prices Top $100 a Ton for 1st Time Since 2008 - 0422

Coal Financing Costs Surge as Investors Opt for Renewable Energy 0421

Coal Earnings Set to Plunge 50% in North America, Moody’s Says 0620

Nearly Half of Global Coal Plants Will Be Unprofitable This Year 0420

Coal-Reliant Philippines Struggles to Power Up Clean Energy 0518

Half of All U.S. Coal Plants Would Lose Money Without Regulation 0318

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China Risks Wasting $490 Billion on Coal Plants 1116

Mining Companies Pay Far Less than They Should for Taxpayer-Owned Coal 0316

Cheap Federal Coal Supports Largest U.S. Producers 0316

Coal Not Coming Back, Appalachian Power President Says 1015

Ameren (St. Louis+ Electric Utility) Report Outlines Issues with Carbon Rules 0215

Grand Island, Nebraska Coal Power Plant Upgrade Complete 1214

France to Stop Credits for Coal Projects in Developing Countries 1114

China Bid to Curb Coal Output Seen Lifting Prices by 10% - 0914

EPA Climate Rule Economically Feasible, Study Says 0714

Wall Street Demands Answers from Producers on Unburnable Carbon 1013

Social Costs of Electricity from Coal Make It Uneconomical 0913

Coal at Risk as Global Lenders Drop Financing on Climate 0813

Southern Co. Absorbs $450M More Losses for Over-Budget Miss. Coal Plant 0713

World Bank to Limit Financing of Coal-Fired Plants 0713

Coal Shares Plunge Ahead of Obama’s Climate-Change Speech 0613

Supreme Court to Hear EPA Appeal on Cross-State Pollution Rule 0613

Obama Readies Power Plant CO2 Emissions Limits 0613

US Coal Industry Is in Even More Trouble after 2016 0413

Idaho Power Faces Costly Decision on Old Coal Plants 0213

Aging Coal Plants Trigger Mission Bankruptcy 1212

Another 59 GW of US Coal Power Too Costly to Run 1112

More US Coal Plants to Retire Due to Green Rules 1012

Coal Is a Risky Proposition Exec Sum 0511 - PDF

EPA Transport Rule Won't Hurt Electric Reliability 0810

EPA Transport Rule to Cut Emissions Deeply 0710

Financing US Coal Plants Gets Tougher 0208

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

Power Plant Closings & Decarbonization

2018-2024 Articles

New England’s Last Coal Plants Will Close by 2028 - 0324

Australia’s Coal Power Plants Likely to Shut 3 X Faster than Earlier Expected 1221

Portugal Becomes 4th EU Country to Stop Using Coal to Make Electricity 1121

Countries Promise Coal Phase-out and End to Fossil Fuel Finance 1121

Indonesia and Philippines Join Plan to Shut Coal Plants Early 1121 - Indonesia says it will meet goal only with financing from developed countries. Poland and teh Phiippines are a bit similar.

Duke Explores Shutting Coal-Fired Plants by 2030 in South Carolina Plans 0921

South Carolina Regulators OK Dramatically Revamped Dominion IRP 0621 - retire its last 3 coal plants by 2030

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2 of America’s Biggest Coal Plants Closed This Month 1119

DTE Pledges Carbon-Free Power by 2050, Banking on Utility-Scale Storage, Small Nuclear, CCS 0919

PacifiCorp to Quicken Move Away from Coal-Fired Power 1019

Share of Coal in UK's Electricity System Falls to Record Lows 0819

Illinois Is Taking Another Step Away from Its Dirtiest Electricity Source 0619

Close Coal Plants to Save Money Is Indiana Utility's Plan 0419

'Peak Coal in Sight’, as New Power Stations Drop and Retirements Jump 0319

Dutch to Close Amsterdam Coal-Fired Power Plant 4 Years Early 0319

TVA Votes to Close 2 Coal Plants, Despite Trump and Kentucky GOP 0219

Georgia Power Proposes Edging Further Away from Coal 0219

Germany Sets Deadline to End Coal Use by 2038 - 0119

President Trump Can't Stop U.S. Coal Plants from Retiring 0119

Israel to Stop Electricity Production from Coal by 2030 - 1218

Even in Indiana, New Renewables Are Cheaper than Existing Coal Plants 1018

Xcel Plans to Shut 660 MW of Coal, Build 1.8 GW Renewables in Colorado 0618

Duke Energy’s Climate Report Charts Path to Reduce Coal Use by 2030 - 0318

GOP Is Trying to Prop Up Coal, but Plants Keep Closing 0318

China Beats 2017 Coal-Fired Power Capacity Reduction Target - Xinhua 0318

Consumers Energy to Stop Burning Coal by 2040 - 0218

France Is Officially Shutting All Coal-Fired Power Plants in 3 Years 0118

Under Trump, Coal Is Still Losing Out to Natural Gas 0118

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

How Australia Is Transforming Grids Away From Coal Power 0522

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

Closing All of Southern Company’s Georgia Coal Plants ‘on the Table’ 0521

1 of 10 Largest US Coal Plants Just Got a Retirement Date. What About the Rest? 0521 - 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

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

Final Coal-Burning Plant Closes 9 Years after Washington Law to Cut Emissions 1220

Chile’s AES Gener Shuts Down Coal Power Plant, Pushes to End CO2 Emissions 1220

India May Close Its Dirtiest Coal Plants as Green Focus Grows 1020

Japan May Close 100 Old Coal Units by 2030 to Hit Emissions Goal 0720

Sweden Closes Last Coal Plant 2 Years Early 0420

Austria Ends Coal Era and Commits to More Renewable Energy 0420

Philippines’ Oldest Conglomerate to Get Out of Coal by 2030 - 0420

New York’s Last Coal-Fired Power Plant to Retire Tuesday 0320

Shuttering US Coal Plants Saved 26,000 Lives over a Decade 0120

Excel to Swap Coal for Solar in Minnesota, like Taking 780,000 Cars Off the Road 0124

Indonesia Speeds Up Landmark Closing of Java Coal Plant 1223

DTE Electric to Speed Michigan Coal Retirements, Renewable & Energy Storage 0723

How Is Colorado Doing in Shutting Down Coal Power Plants? 0523

Coal Use Seen Peaking Next Year, as India and China Determine Future 0323

Vietnam Nears $11+ Billion Deal to Shift Economy from Coal 1122

Climate Pact Led by US and Japan Set to Offer Indonesia $15 Billion to Ditch Coal 1122

Indonesia Needs $37 Billion to Shut Coal-Fired Plants 1022

Tesla Megapacks Are About to Replace Hawaii’s Last Remaining Coal Plant 0622

New Jersey’s Last Coal Power Plants to Close 0322

Biggest Australia Coal Plant to Shut Early, as Renewables Surge 0222

Duke Energy Plans to Exit All Coal, Double Renewables 0222

Georgia Power Takes Next Step in Shutting Coal Plants 0122

Nevada Regulators Approve Solar + Storage to Replace Coal-Fired Plant 0122

Slovenia Pledges to Stop Burning Coal for Electricity by 2033 - 0122

U.S. To See Wave of Coal Power Retirements, While Oil Output Ramps Up 0122

Idaho Power to Accelerate Coal Retirements, Add 3.8 GW Clean Energy 0122

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

Canada, Britain to Tout Coal Phase-Out as U.S. Champions Fossil Fuels 1117

German Coal Mining Could End by 2030s, Says Merkel’s Coalition Negotiator 1117

This Year, as Winter Nears, Residents of China's Coal Country Turn to Gas 1117

Coal Plant Closures Are Coming to Texas. So What Market Changes Are Needed? 1017

China Energy Regulator Raises Targets for Curbing Coal-Fired Power 0817

Beijing Aims to Curb City's Use of Coal by 2020 - 0717

West Virginia Coal Production Decline Expected to Continue 0617

The World’s Largest Coal Mining Company Is Closing 37 Sites 0617

Massachusetts Closes Door on Coal, Looks to New Beginnings 0617

NV Energy Pulls Plug on Its Last Coal-Fired Power Plant near Vegas 0317

Coal Plants Keep Closing on Trump's Watch 0217

Thai Junta Puts Coal-Fired Power Plant Plan on Hold 0217

West’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing 0217

Developers Withdraw Bellingham Coal Terminal Applications, Ending Project 0217

West’s Largest Coal Plant May Close, Latest of Many. 0117

China Halts over 100 Coal Power Projects 0117

Michigan's Biggest Electric Provider Phasing Out Coal, despite Trump 1116

Alberta Reaches $1.36 Billion Deal to Shut Down Coal Plants 1116

Ottawa to Phase Out Canadian Coal by 2030 - 1116

Britain's Last Coal Power Plants to Close by 2025 - 1116

7 Texas Coal Plants Could Close in Coming Years 0916

Puget Sound Energy Agrees to Shut Part of Montana Coal-Power Plant 0716

South Korea Considers Shutdown of Old Coal Power Plants to Cut Emissions 0616

Coal Plants Disappeared from MidContinent ISO -- and So Did Demand 0516

Germany to Exit Coal Power ‘Well before 2050' - 0516

Rapid Decline of Coal Use Leads to 4% Drop in UK Emissions 0316

Scotland Closes Its Last Coal-Fired Power Plant 0316

Peabody Energy Flags Bankruptcy Risk, after Skipping Interest Payment 0316

US Coal Power Plant Retirements Surge 0316

Connecticut's Last Coal-Fired Power Plant to Be Closed 0216

Coal Slides to New Low as Source of US Electricity 0116

Oregon Utilities Agree to Phase Out Coal-Fired Power 0116

Polish Government Chokes on Coal 1215

Mass Layoffs in China’s Coal Country Threaten Unrest 1215

Missing Climate Goals, Dutch Mull Closing Coal Plants 1115

UK's Coal Plants 'to Be Phased Out within 10 Years' 1115

Merkel's `Black Gold' Loses Shine, as Lignite Phase-Out Begins 1015

U.K. Said to Consider Closing All Coal-Fired Plants by 2023 - 1015

Number of U.S. Coal Mines Falls to Lowest on Record 0915

Iowa Utility Will Phase Out Coal At 5 Plants 0715

Ohio University, in Coal Country, to Switch from Coal to Natural Gas 0715

Bluer Skies? Beijing Picks up Pace in Cutting Coal Dependence 0715

Germany to Shut Down 2.7 GW of Coal-Fired Plants, Extend Power Grid 0715

Duke Plans Natural Gas-Fired Plant in Asheville to Replace Coal One 0515

Here’s What China Closing Coal-Power Plants Means for Emissions 0415

End of an Era - Mercury Rule Shutters Utah's Oldest Power Plant

Michigan State University President Announces Coal Phase-Out 0415

Georgia Power’s Yates Plant to Shut Down Coal Units by Mid-April 0315

Beijing to Shut All Major Coal Power Plants to Cut Pollution 0315

1,000 MW HVDC Line from Ontario Replaces Pennsylvania Coal Plants 0315

China's Coal Usage Targeted in New Energy Plan 0315

Kansas City Power & Light Will Stop Using Coal at Some of Its Generating Units 0115

EU’s Biggest Coal Group to Cut Jobs, Close Mines to Survive 0115

Chinese Coal Demand Fell in 2014 - 0115

‘Worst of Worst’ Coal Project in Indonesia’s Kalimantan in Doubt After Snub 1214

China Government Plans More Coal Mine Closures Through 2016 - 1214

Global Coal Demand Growth to Slow in Next 5 Years, due to China, IEA Says 1214

Coal Demand Set to Break 9 Billion Tonne Barrier This Decade 1214

Germany May Shut Down 8 More Coal Power Plants 1114

Victorian State Election 2014 - Will Market Force Out Coal Power Stations? 1114

Denmark Considers Phasing Out Coal by 2025, in Big Green Shift 1114

Arizona Public Service Will Close 1 of the 4 Generators at Cholla Power Plant 0914

TVA Agrees to Shut Down 18 Coal-Fired Boilers and Curb Emissions 0414

Central Government Condones Locals Destroying Coal Plant Near Beijing 0214

TVA Closing 8 Coal Units at Plants in Alabama and Kentucky 1113

China to Shut Coal Mines in Safety Overhaul 1013

Minnesota’s Largest Coal Unit Restarts, Despite Emission Concerns 1013

Largest Coal-Fired Plant in New England to Close by 2017 - 1013

Buffett Says Coal’s Slide to Be Permanent, Yet Gradual 0713

US Won’t Fund a Massive Coal Plant in Vietnam 0713

Coal's Slipping Grip #2 - Death of a Georgia Coal Plant 0713

Coal's Slipping Grip #1 - New England Leads the Way 0713

For East Texas Coal Belt, Dread over New Climate-Change Rules 0613

Sun Sets on 2 More US Coal Plant Projects 0613

How Ontario Is Ending Coal Power 0413

AEP to Stop Burning Coal at Ohio Power Plant 0213

Ontario Phases Out Coal 0113

Georgia Power to Close 15 Coal Units 0113

Coal Is a Risky Proposition 1012

9 More Coal Plants to Close 0212

The Good News About Coal 0611

EPA Regs May Shut 50 GW of Coal 1210

Power Sector Decarbonizing 0910

EPA Freezes New Coal Plants 1108

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

Inside the US War on Coal 0515

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

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

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

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

Charts at left 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 Stands Almost Alone in Expanding Its Coal Power Fleet 0323

China’s Coal Power Boom Is More Complex than It Seems 0323

China’s Coal Plant Approvals Highest in 7 Years 0223

China to Host Almost 1/3 of the World’s New Coal Mines 0922

China’s Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit 0822

China’s Coal Demand Is Rebounding from a Covid-Induced Slump 0722.rtf

Click for more ;

Chinese Premier Calls for More Coal Production as Electricity Demand Soars 0622

China Coal Expansions Threaten Higher Methane Levels Worldwide 0522

12.8 GW of Chinese Overseas Coal Projects Axed, but 57 GW Could Still Proceed 0522

China’s Banks Are the Last Big Players in Coal Company Financing 0422

China Signals Coal Reliance to Continue with 3 New Large Mines 0222

China Issues Guidelines to Fight Pollution, Cut Emissions 1121

China Orders Coal Mines to Raise Production to Address Power Crunch 1021

Climate Report from China 1021 - coal shortage and consequent electricity shortages

China Is Key to Saving Earth from Climate Change, but It Can’t Quit Coal. 0921

China’s Heat Wave Is Pushing Coal Prices Toward Record Level 0721

China Is Facing Its Worst Power Shortage in a Decade, a Whole-World Problem 0621 - 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

Despite Pledges to Cut Emissions, China Goes on a Coal Building Spree 0321

China in Climate Denial? US Railroads Reverse Course on Warming. 0321

China Must Ban New Coal Power Plants to Meet 2060 Goal 1120

Years after Freezing New Projects, China Resumes Building Coal Power Plants 1119

Push for More Coal Power in China Imperils Climate 0319

China Expands Switch from Polluting Coal Heating in 2018- Environment Minister 0319

Despite Climate Pledges, China Struggles to Break Coal Habit 1018

China's Coal Consumption Clouded in Mystery 0518

China Beats 2017 Coal-Fired Power Capacity Reduction Target - Xinhua 0318

Choking on Beijing's Clean Air Costs 1217 - 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 Plant 0517

China Creates World's 1st Coal-to-Ethanol Production Line 0317

China's Coal Consumption Falls for 3rd Year in a Row, 4.7% 0217

Indonesia’s Last Stand for a Coal Industry in Peril 0217

‘Irrational’ Coal Plants May Hamper China’s Climate Change Efforts 0217

China Halts over 100 Coal Power Projects 0117

Despite Climate Change Vow, China Pushes to Dig More Coal 1116

Coal Keeps Firm Grip on Germany, even as Renewables Flourish 1116

China May Be Entering “Post-Coal Growth.” But Don’t Get Too Excited. 0816

China Pledged to Curb Coal Plants, but It’s Still Adding Them. 0716

China Curbs Plans for 200 More Coal-Fired Power Plants 0416

In Coal-Powered China, Electric Car Surge Fuels Fear of Worsening Smog 0116

China’s Coal Use Declines as Electricity Demand Falls Flat 0116

China's Coal-Burning in Significant Decline, Figures Show 0116

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

Polish Government Chokes on Coal 1215

Mass Layoffs in China’s Coal Country Threaten Unrest 1215

Missing Climate Goals, Dutch Mull Closing Coal Plants 1115

UK's Coal Plants 'to Be Phased Out within 10 Years' 1115

China Burns Much More Coal Than Reported, Complicating Climate Talks 1115 -
up to 17% more, as many factories didn’t report.

China's Economic Shift to Aid Climate Fight but Packs a Commodity Punch 1015

Chinese Coal Data Cast Doubt on Historic Stalling of World CO2 - 0915

Over January-April, from 2014, China Cut Coal Use and CO2 as Much as UK Uses 0515 - Coal down 8%, CO2 5%

In China, a Tug of War over Coal Gas - Cleaner Air But Worse for the Climate 0515

China to Expand Coal Ban to Suburbs 0515

Turkey to Double Coal Capacity in 4 Years 0515

Australia’s New Coal Frontier - Mega Mines, Mega Emissions 0515

Balkan Coal Rush Risks Lasting Damage, Campaigners Warn 0515

China Can Cut Cord on Coal (Mostly) by 2050 - 0415

Thousands Protest against Coal-Fired Power Plant in Heyuan, China 0415

China 2014 Coal Output Down 2.5%,1st Drop in a Decade 0115

Chinese Coal Demand Fell in 2014 - 0115

‘Worst of Worst’ Coal Project in Indonesia’s Kalimantan in Doubt After Snub 1214

China Government Plans More Coal Mine Closures Through 2016 - 1214

China to Slow Down New Coal-to-Gas Projects a Lot, to Cut CO2 Emissions 1214 - Water too!

How the 'War on Coal' Went Global 1214

Ex-DoE Secretary Chu Sees Genuine China Coal Retreat 1214

China Will Cap Its Coal Consumption by 2020 - 1114 - 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 Follows Through on its Climate Pledges 1114

China, U.S. Agree to Limit Greenhouse Gases 1114

China's Coal Imports Drop for 1st Time Since It Became Net Coal Importer 1014

China's Coal Use Is Actually Falling Now, for the 1st Time This Century 1014

Why Abbott's Faith in Coal Could Be Wrong - Very Wrong 1014
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

Shock China Coal Tariff Decision Throws Australian Free Trade Talks into Turmoil 1014

China's 'War on Pollution' Sees Coal Drop for First Time in Century 0814
down 1.8% for 2014 Q1-2 vs 2013 Q1-2

China’s Plan to Limit Coal Use Could Spur Consumption for Years 0714

China's Coal Industry Says Times Are Hard, Outlook Worse 0714

China’s Thirsty Coal Industry Guzzles Precious Water 0514

China Slashes Spending on New Fossil-Fuel Power Plants 0514

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

Bangladesh, Vulnerable to Climate Change, Turns to Coal Power 1113

Poland Builds Electronic Wall to Keep Out German Renewables 1113

Poland Seeks to Make 'Coal' a Less Dirty Word at U.N. Climate Talks 1113

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

No Sign of King Coal's Demise, as Asian Demand Rises 1013

Kids Get Smog Day As Pollution Shuts Down China's Harbin 1013

Key Mangrove Forest Faces Major Threat from a Coal Plant 1013

Japan on Gas, Coal Power Building Spree to Fill Nuclear Void 1013

Citibank - Expect Peak Coal in China by 2020 - 0913

Europe Whets Appetite for Coal as US Eschews It 0913

Coal Splutters as China Seeks Breath of Fresh Air 0913

China to Curb Coal Use to Combat Air Pollution 0913

New Coal-Fired Power Stations in Guangdong Will Kill Thousands 0813

Burning Coal Shortens Lives in China 0713 Coal Push Strains an Already Water-Stressed China 0913

Beijing Finds That Dropping Coal Is Hard to Do 1012

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

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

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 of World's Coal 0113

China's Projected Energy Mix

China Leads in Clean Coal 0509

US carbon intensity for electric generation in 2012 was 0.50 tCO2 / 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.