Insight
Tiny 'monotowns' face existential threat as US abandons coal
*Please note that this report only includes an Excel data file if this is indicated in "What's included" below
Report summary
Once considered immune to market shifts, many mine-mouth coal-fired power plants are at risk as the US continues to abandon coal. These often-remote complexes are singularly important to the employees and towns in which they operate. When these plants retire, the mines must be shuttered and the tiny towns in which many of them are located face an existential crisis. The lack of alternative employment alternatives forces employees to migrate. These socioeconomic stresses have encouraged politicians to propose laws and regulations that either discourage plant closure, encourage its life extension, or both. Power plant owners, often under pressure from environmental activists and seeking to lower costs, sometimes have different points of view. Examples of action taken in Wyoming, Montana and Arizona are examined.
Table of contents
- Why did these symbiotic coal complexes develop?
- How large is the problem?
- What will the future bring for these operations?
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What is being done to help these facilities?
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Arizona
- Summary
Tables and charts
This report includes the following images and tables:
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Existing US mine-mouth coal plant retirements by owner (MW)Current US mine-mouth coal company share (Mt)North American coal fleet capacity by categoryUS mine-mouth coal plant retirements by stateUS mine-mouth coal plant retirements by owner (MW, by 2035)
What's included
This report contains:
