The total operating capacity of coal-fired power plants in the United States is set to drop to 145 gigawatts (GW) by the end of 2028, a more than 15 percent decline from the 172 GW in operation as of May, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a July 14 statement.
The Midwest region has 10 coal plants scheduled to retire by 2028. This was followed by the Mid-Atlantic with five plants, Tennessee with four, and the Northwest with three sites. “On a regional basis, 58 percent of the planned coal capacity retirements are in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions,” EIA said.
“Coal consumption in the U.S. electric power sector has fallen since its peak in the late 2000s because of increased competition from other electricity sources, especially from natural gas and renewables,” the agency added….