Global coal demand is projected to reach a new record high this year as rising power needs from AI, manufacturing, and electrification accelerate worldwide. In the U.S., policy shifts keeping coal plants online and easing regulatory pressure could support higher utilization. At the same time, countries such as India and China continue to expand coal …
News Tag: IER
The Cost of the Energy Transition
Investments in reducing the share of natural gas, oil, and coal in the world’s energy supply have not had a substantial impact, only reducing their share by three percentage points. This failure reflects the reality that the energy transition is too often attempting to replace energy-dense fuels deeply ingrained in our economies with less competitive …
Europe’s Electricity Prices Are Far Higher than Prices in the United States
In Europe, electricity prices are two to four times higher than in the United States, with the U.K.’s industrial electricity price 4.2 times higher and Germany’s residential electricity price 2.6 times higher. Business executives and some economists say much of the increase is due to the shift to intermittent renewables like wind and solar, which …
The IEA Makes a Major Change to Its World Energy Outlook
With coal demand driven largely by emerging economies like China and India, where it fuels nearly half of electricity generation, the future of coal hinges on electricity demand, renewable deployment, and natural gas pricing. The IEA now aligns its projections with realistic energy trends, signaling coal’s continued relevance in a world striving for energy abundance. …
Increasing Power Prices Are Being Wrongly Blamed on the Trump Administration
With election season upon us, Democrats across the country are using rising electricity prices occurring alongside the OBBBA’s passage as a cudgel against Republican opponents. Reality, however, is much more complicated, as much of the increase in electricity prices results from policies enacted during the Biden administration and the increase in demand from AI, not …
U.S. Carbon Emissions per Capita Declined in All U.S. States Between 2005 and 2023
Between 2005 and 2023, U.S. carbon dioxide emissions fell by 20%, with per capita emissions dropping by 30%. All states saw declines, led by Maryland at 49%. Emissions declined again in 2024 but are expected to rise in 2025 as energy demand from AI data centers and electrification grows. Meanwhile, global climate politics show mounting …
Media Misleads the Public on Wind and Solar Power’s Cost and Environmental Impacts
A recent survey shows that Americans want a stronger power grid and affordable, clean energy, but the reality of wind and solar is more complex. These technologies require carbon-intensive materials like steel, cement, and plastics, have shorter lifespans than fossil fuel or nuclear plants, and create significant disposal challenges. Media narratives often label them as …
Coal Is Still King — Globally
Western politicians may have written off coal as the fuel of the past, but developing countries have clearly not written back. Record coal consumption and production highlight the importance it has in powering developing countries’ expansion of their industrial and electric capacity, playing an essential role in forwarding economic growth and well-being. …
EPA Moves to Rescind the Obama-Era Endangerment Finding
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin has announced a proposal to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, a key legal basis for more than $1 trillion in federal climate regulations—including the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandate. …
200 Actions the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans Have Taken to Unleash Our Energy Potential
Building on a pledge to prioritize domestic energy production, the administration and congressional leadership have enacted 200 measures to expand output and dismantle regulatory barriers. These actions are positioned as part of a larger plan to secure energy abundance, lower costs for consumers, and drive economic growth for America. …
