U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal

The U.S. electric power system is transitioning away from coal, with coal's share of total generation dropping below 40% for the first time since 1978 in late 2011. While some companies attribute plant retirements to EPA regulations like the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), the document argues that market forces—including low natural gas prices and the competitiveness of renewables—are the primary drivers.

• Coal's contribution to U.S. electric power generation reached a multi-decade low in 2011, specifically falling below 40% during the final two months of that year, the lowest level since 1978.
• Market forces, rather than environmental regulations, are the primary drivers of coal plant retirements. These factors include the increased cost-competitiveness of renewable energy, rising coal prices, lower natural gas prices, and a decline in the growth of electricity demand.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal. https://www.wri.org/research/fact-sheet-us-electricity-markets-increasingly-favor-alternatives-coal

Chicago

World Resources Institute. U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/fact-sheet-us-electricity-markets-increasingly-favor-alternatives-coal.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal |url=https://www.wri.org/research/fact-sheet-us-electricity-markets-increasingly-favor-alternatives-coal |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendelectricity, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{U.S. Electricity Markets Increasingly Favor Alternatives to Coal}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/fact-sheet-us-electricity-markets-increasingly-favor-alternatives-coal}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }