Again, it is indisputable that U.S. coal use is on the decline, and that the long-term trend is toward renewables.
Here are some actual documented FACTS "published by actual departments and divisions solely focused on this data collection". These can all be found at the link below, along with a wealth of other FACTS, and each FACT has its own footnote for independent verification at the original source. So there is no need to wonder about the veracity of unsupported information posted anonymously on a message board by "people who will not accept the actual data" and continue to post contrary nonsense without a shred of supporting evidence.
1-The long, steady rise of coal-fired generation of electricity shifted to a decline after 2007. The decline has been linked to the increased availability of natural gas, decreased consumption, renewable power, and more stringent environmental regulations.
2- The average share of electricity generated from coal in the US has dropped from 52.8% in 1997 to 45.0% in 2009.
3- Coal consumption declined further after 2009, due to the emergence of shale gas.
4- In the first quarter of 2012, the use of coal for electricity generation declined substantially more, 21% from 2011 levels.
5- According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 27 gigawatts of capacity from coal-fired generators was retired from 175 coal-fired power plants between 2012 and 2016. Natural gas showed a corresponding increase.
6- Coal's share of electricity generation dropped to just over 36% over the course of 2011, from 52.8% in 1997.
7- Coal use continued to decline rapidly through 2015, with its share around 33.6.
8- Recent estimates gauge that an additional 40 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity will retire by 2020 (in addition to the nearly 20GW that have retired as of 2014). This is driven most strongly by inexpensive natural gas competing with coal.
9- Over 13 GW of coal power plants built between 1950-70 were retired in 2015.
Thank you. I'm afraid the US has been on track to repeat the mistakes of Australia. We have been moving too quickly and blindly towards renewables at the expense of reliability. Under Obama's aggressive plan to "bankrupt the coal industry," coal plants have been shuttered at a staggering rate (see below). An exceptionally cold winter, hot summer, or even a disruption in the natural gas supply that we are so dependent on now could lead to a major energy crisis with rolling blackouts, usage restrictions, and eye popping electric bills. At least the President Trump has brought back some sanity with his "all of the above" energy policy, or insanity depending on your POV.
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