EIA: Nearly 25 percent of U.S. coal-fired plants scheduled to retire before 2030
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nearly a quarter of the coal-fired capacity operating across the country is scheduled to retire by the end of 2029.
In its monthly Electric Generator Inventory report, the agency said that of the 200,568 MW of coal-fired capacity, 23 percent is scheduled to retire by the end of the decade. On average, 9,450 MW of coal-fired capacity retired each year between 2012 and 2021. In 2022, 11,778 MW of coal-fired capacity will retire if reported scheduled retirements go through. The agency said the pace of retirements will slow down after 2022 until 2028 when the industry will see 9,842 MW shut down.
“Planned retirements continue to be focused on relatively older facilities,” the report said. “Coal-fired generators—especially older, less efficient units—face higher operating and maintenance costs, which make them less competitive and more likely to retire. In addition, some coal-fired power plants must comply with regulations limiting the discharge of wastewater by 2028, which would require additional capital investment, likely influencing the decision to retire some of these coal-fired units.”
The retirements span 24 states. The most coal-fired capacity retirements will be in Michigan, Texas, Indiana, and Tennessee, accounting for 42 percent of the closures. The type of coal used in the retiring units is shifting from mostly bituminous, the report said, to mostly subbituminous- and refined coal-fueled plants, which account for a combined 68 percent of planned retirements between 2022 and 2029. Only 31 percent of the planned retirements through the end of the decade are primarily fueled by bituminous coal. Only 27 percent of the 55,943 MW of coal-fired capacity using refined coal is scheduled to retire during the same time period.
The agency said no developers have announced plans to build new U.S. coal-fired capacity.
