US coal-fired power plant unit retirements are expected to accelerate next year after falling in 2024, putting more downward pressure on coal demand.
There are 34 coal-fired units in the US projected to retire in 2025, compared to the 11 units expected to close this year, according to Argus' coal plant retirement database.
The closures next year will take a total of 14,532MW of summer generating capacity offline, climbing significantly from the combined 3,629MW expected to be removed in 2024.
The anticipated retirements occurring this year are down from the closures of 23 units last year. Those 2023 retirements removed 10,577MW of summer capacity from the market.
US coal demand is expected to decline more significantly as a result of the increased retirements expected in 2025. Next year's retiring units took a combined 39.6mn short tons (35.9mn metric tonnes) of coal in 2023, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) fuel receipts data, while the units closing in 2024 took a total of 9mn st last year and 11.3mn st in 2022.
Most of the coal power being taken offline in 2025 will come from the central and eastern US.
Coal units operating in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator make up about 39pc of the capacity shutting in 2025, while PJM Interconnection coal units made up 27pc.
Those 2025 closures include three units at Consumers Energy's J H Campbell coal plant in Michigan with a combined capacity of 1,440MW, and two units at Talen Energy's Brandon Shores coal plant in Maryland with a combined capacity of 1,270MW.
However, the western US will also lose a notable portion of coal power in 2025, with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power deactivating the Intermountain Power Plant's units 1 and 2 in Utah, removing 1,800MW of coal capacity.
