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Road to Decarbonization: U.S. Coal Plant Closures

As the push to decarbonize starts to kick into gear in the U.S., how do coal plant closures factor into the equation?

With a target of net-zero emissions by 2050, the U.S. is examining all aspects of its economy to see where action is needed. In the automotive industry, for example, the Biden administration is aiming for half of new vehicles to be electric by 2030, following in the footsteps of automakers that have made similar commitments.

But in the power sector that supplies electricity for much of the country, fossil fuels continue to be large emission sources. Coal, which accounted for just 19% of electricity generated in the U.S. in 2020, created 54% of the power sector’s emissions.

That’s leading to U.S. utilities feeling the pressure to retire coal plants and look for alternatives. This infographic from the National Public Utilities Council highlights the coal plant closures that have been announced, and how much power will be affected as a result.

Where Are U.S. Coal Plant Closures Happening?

Accurately tracking coal plant closures currently means turning to non-profits and parsing through company reports. To assemble this list, we turned to the Global Energy Monitor and Carbon Brief and cross-referenced against company sustainability reports and news releases.

The result? 80 coal plants with a total capacity of 98.3 GW publicly scheduled for full retirement over the next three decades.

PlantStateRetirement DateCapacity (MW)
BurlingtonIA2021212
Dolet HillsLA2021721
AES HawaiiHI2022204
Coal CreekND20221,210
E.D. EdwardsIL2022645
EdgewaterWI2022414
Fayette* (announced not confirmed)TX20221,690
HeskettND2022115
JoppaIL20221,100
MeramecMO2022924
San JuanNM2022924
St. ClairMI20221,210
Taconite HarborMN2022168
Trenton ChannelMI2022536
A.B. BrownIN2023530
Big BendFL20231,824
Bull RunTN2023950
ChesterfieldVA20231,053
KarnMI2023516
LawrenceKS2023517
Martin DrakeCO2023207
MeromIN20231,080
North OmahaNE2023354
North ValmyNV2023567
SchahferIN20231,944
ColumbiaWI20241,112
G.G. AllenNC20241,155
South Oak CreekWI20241,240
BaldwinIL20251,260
Brunner IslandPA20251,558
CentraliaWA20251,460
ChollaAZ2025840
CloverVA2025848
Herbert WagnerMD2025495
IntermountainUT20251,640
NauhgtonWY2025448
Prairie CreekIA202550
NortheasternOK2026473
AES Puerto RicoPR2027510
ColstripMT20272,272
KincaidIL20271,319
Miami FortOH20271,115
MorgantownMD20271,252
NewtonIL20271,235
Victor J. DanielMS20271,097
WinyahSC20271,260
ZimmerOH20271,426
Allen S. KingMN2028598
CayugaIN20281,062
CraigCO20281,427
HaydenCO2028466
Michigan CityIN2028540
PawneeCO2028552
RockportIN20282,600
SiouxMO20281,099
White BluffAR20281,800
Belle RiverMI20301,396
BonanzaUT2030500
IndependenceAR20301,800
Ray NixonCO2030207
Sherburne CountyMN20302,469
Four CornersNM20311,636
CumberlandTN20352,600
GallatinTN20351,255
KingstonTN20351,700
MarshallNC20351,996
ShawneeTN20351,750
Jim BridgerWY20372,441
GibsonIN20383,340
Belews CreekNC20392,160
IatanMO20391,725
JeffreyKS20392,160
La CygneKS20391,599
Rush IslandMO20391,242
ComancheCO20401,636
J. H. CampbellMI20401,540
MonroeMI20403,280
LadabieMO20422,389
PetersburgIN20422,147
James E. RogersNC20491,481

Noticeably, most of the coal plant closures are targeted in the Midwest (which uses the most coal for power). And most of the retirements are coming early, with the 2020s seeing more than half of announced closures and retired capacity (53.6 GW).

But the largest coal plants with announced retirement dates are currently scheduled for the 2030s and 2040s. That includes Duke Energy’s Gibson power plant in Indiana, the fifth largest coal plant in the U.S. and the largest with a retirement date.

What’s Next for U.S. Decarbonization?

Though it seems like the U.S. has a lot of coal plant closures announced, there’s a lot left to go.

The 98.3 GW of tracked coal plant closures is just 45% of U.S. coal electricity production in 2020. Though many utilities have talked about eventually assessing and planning retirements for some of the remaining 55%, no concrete plans have been announced yet.

“In our industry, deciding to exit coal-fired power is not taken lightly,” said Omaya Ahmad, Sustainability Policy Consultant at Arizona Public Service. “Our coal plants are often the oldest in our fleet and are largely the reason our service territories have grown and flourished into what they are today. However, the pressures presented by climate change and the economic demands tied to coal have required a commitment to transition to clean energy.”

Coal Plant Closures Are Part of a Larger Equation

But as Ahmad explains, turning off coal plants is not such a quick-and-easy fix.

“Such a transition will be a lofty under taking and will not come without its own challenges,” said Ahmad. “Recognizing the regional transition landscape and timeline depicted on a map like this one will help utilities adequately prepare for and support their coal communities as we all take steps to reach a clean energy economy.”

And coal plants are just one part of the decarbonization equation. Some utilities are opting to transform coal power plants into natural gas plants, which are more cost-efficient and emit less than coal. Even though many utilities and consumers are turning away from carbon emitting fuel sources entirely, there are more than 200 new natural gas plants planned in the U.S.

There are also four announced retirements for U.S. nuclear plants through 2025, and two new planned reactors. As more plants near or move well past their licensed retirement dates, nuclear plant shutdowns or refurbishments are also expected to increase.

But the big question is how the generated electricity from coal will be replaced. Communities that rely on coal for power (and economic strength) will have to turn to natural gas or work on renewables capacity, while others have already started the transition.

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The National Public Utilities Council (NPUC) is a leading research organization dedicated to driving progress in the decarbonization of power generation. The council fosters collaboration between public utilities, providing a platform for sharing ideas and finding innovative solutions to the challenges of reducing carbon emissions.