Coal’s Elongated Future

November 8, 2024 — Coal power is affordable and reliable, and globally there are reserves to last decades, if not centuries (e.g., the US EIA estimates recoverable coal reserves would last about 422 years). But the negative environmental and health externalities from the power production, industrial use (e.g., steel production) and mining are so big that an extended coal future should be seen as problematic and an indication of a series of unfortunate missteps by society over the past 40 years (such as not fully embracing natural gas and turning back on the nuclear power industry). In this week’s newsletter we will look at coal and provide a quick snapshot of its influence and staying power in various locations around the globe.