Coal Use Skyrockets, World Wide

Just a few years ago, you would have heard some in Wyoming saying that coal was on its last leg. Biden, while running for president, promised to phase out coal for good.

Yet despite the best efforts of the United Nations and others, the use of coal worldwide has increased greatly. Today it is at an all-time high.

In 2024, China added more than 500 TWh of coal-fired power generation. More than half of China’s power generation comes from coal. China has more coal-fired power generation than any nation on earth. China constitutes more than half of global coal consumption.

The Guardian last week reported that worldwide coal consumption reached a new all-time high in 2024.

Wyoming showed strong growth in its coal industry, though coal in other states continues to shrink.

Some coal plants in Wyoming that were slated for shutdown will stay online. At the same time,  Wyoming lawmakers have announced plans for a "next-generation" coal-fired plant.

Yes, the world is using record amounts of coal, reaching an all-time high in 2024. This increase is driven by rising global electricity demand, which more than offsets the declining share of coal in the energy mix, with China and India being the largest consumers.

The Coal Mid-Year Update shows that global coal demand increased to a new all-time high in 2024 of around 8.8 billion tonnes, up 1.5% from 2023, as rising consumption in China, India, Indonesia, and other emerging economies more than offset declines in advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. (IEA).

As for he future of mining in Wyoming, the Department of the Interior has announced the opening of 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing, tripling the benchmarks set by the landmark One Big Beautiful Bill Act.