increase by 75% between 2023 and 2025, and wind generation to increase by 11% during that time. Meanwhile, battery storage capacity, which enables providers to store excess power generated from renewable sources in times of low electricity demand, is expected to almost double in 2024.
Nuclear’s contribution to the U.S. energy mix is predicted to remain at current levels.
Along with widespread closures across the coal industry, more than 100 plants have been replaced by or repurposed to burn natural gas instead. Due to new gas turbine technology, natural gas is not only cheaper and more efficient but also meets emission standards more easily. The higher operation and maintenance costs of aging coal units mean keeping coal generation going is increasingly uneconomical.
From autonomous mining systems and virtual reality (VR) training for miners to carbon capture and sequestration — where carbon dioxide emissions are injected deep underground — the coal industry has adopted several measures to improve safety, increase efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gasses.
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