In 2025, US coal retirements hit a 15-year low. (EIA)
By the numbers: Annual coal retirements have fallen sharply since 2022, when 13.7 GW went offline. In 2025, just 2.6 GW of the planned 8.5 GW actually shut down. Meanwhile, operators delayed 4.8 GW of retirements and canceled 1.1 GW—and DOE emergency orders kept an additional 3.2 GW online across five plants.Â
As for this year? Operators plan to retire 6.4 GW, roughly 4% of the remaining US fleet. But given the pattern of delays, cancellations, and DOE interventions, that number deserves an asterisk. PS: Want to learn all about the politics behind coal’s “comeback?” Tune into our recent Power Perspectives episode.