POWER Magazine•4 days ago
Coal’s Revival: From Maintenance Mode to Market Necessity
Key Takeaway
The unexpected return of coal units signals a critical need for dispatchable capacity, impacting grid stability, emissions targets, and future generation investment strategies for developers and large power consumers.
AI Summary
- •Coal units previously scheduled for retirement are being reactivated across the U.S. in 2025, reversing a decade-long decline.
- •This revival is driven by 'market necessity,' indicating a critical demand for dispatchable generation capacity.
- •The trend signals evolving grid reliability priorities, potentially impacting capacity markets, energy prices, and long-term investment strategies for developers and large power consumers, challenging the steady rise of gas and renewables.
Topics
policycapacity-marketemissionssolarwindstorageccgt
Article Content
For more than a decade, the U.S. coal industry has been in decline — with waning investment, shrinking capacity, and the steady rise of gas and renewables. Yet, in 2025, a different story is emerging. Across the country, coal units once scheduled for quiet retirement are being called back into service in ways few anticipated—driven […] The post Coal’s Revival: From Maintenance Mode to Market Necessity appeared first on POWER Magazine .