President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to boost coal production. It may not do much to reverse the industry’s fortunes.
Last year, coal generated only 15% of U.S. electricity, a number that’s been falling for close to two decades.
Natural gas is the dominant fuel for electricity now, displacing coal several years ago. Last year, for the first time, wind and solar also outpaced coal.
The last coal plant in the country was built more than a decade ago, and utilities – including Appalachian Power – have said they have no plans to build new ones.
Mon Power, in a presentation to investors earlier this year, indicated that it would be replacing its two coal plants in West Virginia – Fort Martin and Harrison – with gas.
Trump’s order cites the growing demand for electricity from AI and data centers. But coal plants are aging and inefficient – many are 50 to 60 years old – and data center developers are choosing renewables, nuclear, battery storage and gas instead.