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An AI Power Tipping Point

The AI and data center boom is now driving the electricity and affordability crisis. Just this week, President Trump took to Truth Social to show he’s focused on the challenge, writing, “I never want Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of data centers.” He added that his team is now working with technology companies […]

A New Record

Despite years of forecasts of imminent decline, coal demand keeps growing. While the final numbers aren’t in, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently found global coal demand was on track to rise by 0.5% in 2025, reaching a record 8.85 billion tonnes. With energy affordability and security globally paramount, the irreplaceability of coal shouldn’t be that surprising. […]

Answering the Grid Reliability Call

Winter’s bite has arrived. Much of the country is already facing a polar blast and regional electricity grids are ramping up generation to meet high demand. Electricity prices in some regions are already soaring. But not everywhere. Notably, there’s a sharp divide emerging on affordability between the grids that have access to coal generation and […]

A Coal Salve for Rising Electricity Prices

Energy affordability – particularly electricity affordability – has become a top-tier issue for voters and policymakers. U.S. electricity prices have risen 32% over the past five years and relief – at least immediate relief – is hard to see. Sharply rising power demand and surging natural gas prices are only adding headwinds to an already […]

Europe’s Green Pivot is Proving an Affordability Catastrophe

Rising electricity prices in the United States – up about 32% on average over the past five years – have become an important issue for voters. Now imagine if prices had doubled. That’s the incredible reality facing Europe. As The Wall Street Journal reports, European politicians told voters the pivot to renewables would be a win-win, slashing emissions and […]

Surging Power Demand Adds to Winter Reliability Woes

New analysis sees U.S. peak power demand jumping a stunning 166 gigawatts (GW) in the next five years. The surge in new demand comes overwhelming from data centers. To put this new demand into perspective, the jump is equivalent to 15 times the peak demand of New York City. The estimate comes from Grid Strategies, […]

Another Winter Living on the Edge

The November wind has arrived with winter nipping at its heels. Here in Washington, the mercury dropped below freezing for the first time this fall as snow began to blanket Midwestern states. Right on cue, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) previewed its annual Winter Reliability Assessment. NERC warns region-wide cold snaps – much […]

Electricity at the Ballot BoX

Electricity prices were on the ballot in several states yesterday. Democrat wins of governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, and a sweep of public service commission races in Georgia, are adding to the sense energy issues – particularly electricity prices – will be center stage in the midterms. Ratepayers are frustrated—and rightfully so. Residential […]

Reliability is a “Five-Alarm Fire”

Rising electricity prices and their impact on the economy and ballot box have become front page issues. However, the nation’s teetering grid reliability is the crisis we must not ignore. With power demand surging, and utilities struggling to get new infrastructure and dispatchable generation onto the grid, alarm over the state of the nation’s power […]

As Electricity Prices Rise, Coal Provides Answers

Concern over rising electricity prices is everywhere. The pickle Americans now face has been a longtime coming. Residential electricity prices have jumped 27% from 2019 through 2024 and they’re likely to continue their upward trajectory before policy can begin to soften the blow. As policymakers grapple for answers, new studies are providing important evidence about […]