Coal history data visualization

Introduction

Ever since coal emissions peaked in 2012 they've fallen quickly. But in 2020 coal plants still emitted about 1 billion tons per year. That's 21% of the country's total.

And while the coal industry is certainly not going to roar back to life anytime soon, emissions from coal power plants are expected to be as high as 400m tons in 2030.

CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants in the U.S. (gigatons per year)

Coal emissions began declining in America for two main reasons:

  1. The fracking boom in America that led to a fall in natural gas prices;
  2. The dramatic fall in the price of renewable energy.

Let's look at how those two changes affected coal emissions.

Coal emissions began declining in America for two main reasons:

  1. The fracking boom in America that led to a fall in natural gas prices;
  2. The dramatic fall in the price of renewable energy.

Let's look at how those two changes affected coal emissions.

Introduction

Ever since coal emissions peaked in 2012 they've fallen quickly. But in 2020 coal plants still emitted about 1 billion tons per year. That's 21% of the country's total.

And while the coal industry is certainly not going to roar back to life anytime soon, emissions from coal power plants are expected to be as high as 400m tons in 2030.

Coal emissions began declining in America for two main reasons:

  1. The fracking boom in America that led to a fall in natural gas prices;
  2. The dramatic fall in the price of renewable energy.

Let's look at how those two changes affected coal emissions.

Coal emissions began declining in America for two main reasons:

  1. The fracking boom in America that led to a fall in natural gas prices;
  2. The dramatic fall in the price of renewable energy.

Let's look at how those two changes affected coal emissions.