Where Will America Get The Coal It Needs? Wyoming.
America will need more coal to meet the significant increase in electricity demand. This, in turn, is needed for the expansion of AI data centers. Some forecasts are that the largest of these will draw as much electricity each year as Manhattan does, because of a run-up in the need
Among the reasons for the need for coal is that renewables are not coming online fast enough. The Trump Administration has shut down offshore installations. Wind was part of the three-legged clean energy stool that included solar and nuclear.
Coal was once the fuel for a quarter of US energy needs. That dropped to 16% in 2023. The trend was that the need for coal was dropping fast.
Biggest States
If coal demand rises, Wyoming provided 41% of the US coal supply in 2022. West Virginia produced 14% Pennsylvania and Illinois were about 7% each.
Wyoming has been the top state for crude production since 1988. Its use of renewables is modest .
The state’s coal comes from 15 mines. According to the state, these are “ in Lincoln, Sweetwater, and Campbell Counties, with 8 of the top 10 coal mines in the country.” Most of these are in the northeastern part of the state.
There are several estimates for the growth in coal demand. It is safe to say that the dirtiest of fossil fuels will make a huge comeback. The electricity sector has no alternatives.
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