Power Sector Emissions Highest In 3 Years As Beautiful Clean Coal Stages CO2 Comeback

[hatrack]

LITTLETON, Colorado, July 1 (Reuters) - U.S. power sector emissions are already at their highest levels in three years, but will likely climb further during the peak summer months as greater use of air conditioning systems drives higher generation from coal and natural gas plants. Over the first five months of 2025, U.S. power sector emissions from the burning of fossil fuels were up 5% to around 640 million metric tons, according to data from Ember.

The roughly 32 million ton rise in emissions from the same months a year ago stems mainly from higher use of coal within the U.S. generation mix, as power firms have so far cut back on natural gas use from a year ago after gas prices rallied.

Over the first half of 2024, U.S. coal-fired power generation climbed by 14% from the same period in 2024 to 14.9 million megawatt hours (MWh), according to data from LSEG. The chief driver behind the rise in coal use was a steep rise in the price of natural gas during the opening quarter of the year, which applied fresh cost pressure on utilities and spurred higher use of cheaper coal within generation mixes.

Henry Hub natural gas futures - the main benchmark price for U.S. natural gas - have averaged around $3.53 per million British thermal units (BTU) so far this year, LSEG data shows. That compares to an average of $2.15 per BTU during the first half of 2024. As a result of that over 60% jump in gas costs, gas-fired power production during January to June was down 4.2% to 31.8 million MWh, according to LSEG.

EDIT

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/us-power-pollution-climbs-higher-coal-use-2025-07-01/

[justaprogressive]

1. K'n'R

sigh.