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Coal isn’t coming back, although with real investment in carbon capture and sequestration, it could continue to contribute to a clean energy economy. A decade ago, coal accounted for nearly half of all electricity in the US; in 2016 it was down to 29 percent.
The decrease in coal by the electricity sector is because of economic reasons, as it has been outcompeted by low cost natural gas. Building new wind and utility scale solar generation is less expensive than building new coal plants, even without subsidies. Additionally, there is more cost competition overseas for coal, which has reduced the amount of coal exported by the US, contributing to reduction in production and employment at coal mines in recent years.
The Clean Power Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation to limit carbon emissions from existing power plants that was the target of Trump’s executive action, was not scheduled to phase in until 2022 and not meant to come into full effect until 2030. Market forces like natural gas prices are already reducing carbon emissions. Additionally, federal tax credits and state level policies like renewable portfolio standards create market-oriented incentives to purchase wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable generation in certain states.