Coal, a black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, is the most abundant fossil fuel on earth. It takes millions of years to develop and is, like other fossil fuels, created from the remains of ancient organisms.
Utilized, since the caveman, for heating and cooking, it was also used in the Roman Empire to heat public baths and, during the Aztec Empire, as a decorative ornament.
Coal is extracted from the earth either by surface or underground mining. Once extracted, composed mostly of carbon and hydrocarbons, the energy it contains can be released through combustion (burning) either directly or to fuel power plants for electricity.
PROS AND CONS
Coal has always been plentiful and cheap, as fossil fuels go, before gas became cheaper and renewables more available. The reduction of our reliance on coal is fortunate --in so far as toxins and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are concerned. Extraction and burning releases the highest levels of pollutants into the air including sulfur dioxide, another pollutant gas that causes respiratory problems, and damages crops, forests, and lakes. Sulfur dioxide released by coal-fired power plants also directly contributes to acid rain.
Surface mining also permanently alters the landscape. In mountaintop removal, the landscape itself is obliterated and ecosystems are destroyed. This increases erosion in the area. Streams may be blocked, increasing the chances for flooding. Toxins often leach into groundwater, streams, and aquifers.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The U.S. built their first coal power plant in lower Manhattan, which began operation in 1882. Within three years, coal became the most-used energy source in America, overtaking renewables including hydropower and wood.
Until it peaked in 2007.
A DOWNWARD SLIDE
By 2019, U.S. coal-fired electricity generation had already fallen to a 42-year low with annual energy consumption from clean energy sources exceeding coal consumption for the first time in more than 100 years. This was mainly the result of growth in gas plants and renewable energy.
To add insult to injury — in just one year from 2019 over 2018 —coal consumption in the United States decreased nearly 15%.
By 2021, coal was the largest source of electricity generation in only fifteen states--a decrease from 32 states in 2001. By 2023 coal shipments declined another 8% In 2023, coal accounted for 9% of U.S. energy consumption and 16% of total annual carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector.
Over the last decade, about 40% of coal power plants in the U.S. closed.
A PEEK AT THE FUTURE
More coal plants are expected to shutter over the next decade under the EPA’s landmark 2024 carbon standards. Under these rules, coal plants planning to operate past 2039 must install carbon capture technology to eliminate 90% of their emissions by 2032. Plants choosing to retire by 2039 face intermediate caps starting in 2030, while those closing by 2032 face no new restrictions. Because retrofitting is highly expensive, these rules are expected to phase out nearly the entire remaining U.S. coal fleet by 2039.
That said, the world is set to burn record amounts of coal this year, in large part because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the International Energy Agency said in its mid-year report on September 10, 2026. In the United States, coal production is still expected to decline by 3%, while demand is forecast to fall by 7%.
THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS
Today, the primary use for coal in the U.S. is electricity generation. While it accounted for 16.2% of the power grid in 2023, its share has since trended downward, while utility-scale renewables (wind and solar) have steadily climbed past their 2023 baseline of 21.4%. The U.S. still holds one of the world's largest coal reserves, but the total number of fully operational coal-fired plants has fallen to roughly 200 or fewer."
IN CONCLUSION
Coal is one of the most controversial energy sources in the world. The advantages of coal mining are economically and socially significant. And, yet mining devastates the environment: air, land, and water. Coal emits the most carbon dioxide per unit of energy out of all the fossil fuels. Coal combustion is, by far, the nation’s primary culprit of global warming.
Decreasing 
