US coal 'biggest contributor by far' to rise in global emissions
A new report identifies a 10% surge in US coal consumption as the primary driver behind the recent increase in global CO2 emissions. This rise is largely attributed to the expanding energy demands of data centers and the Trump administration's pro-coal policy initiatives. Despite the coal increase, solar power has grown rapidly and recently generated more electricity than coal in the US for the first time.
- ▪US coal consumption increased by 10% in 2025, making it the largest contributor to the global rise in CO2 emissions.
- ▪The growth in US coal use was primarily driven by the power demands of data centers and the administration's pro-coal agenda.
- ▪The US accounted for more than a third of the global increase in CO2 emissions, which was four times greater than the increase in China.
- ▪Solar power accounted for 71% of renewable energy growth in 2025 and generated more electricity than coal in the US in May.
- ▪Fossil fuels still represent 86% of the global energy mix, a figure only 3% lower than a decade ago.
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| Original publisher | Hacker News (Front Page) |
| Canonical URL | https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/us-coal-biggest-contributor-by-far-to-rise-in-global-emissions/ |
| Publication time | Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:04:53 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-14T23:16:51.356Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-14T23:16:51.356Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Chip Somodevilla/Shutterstock President Donald Trump has maintained an explicit pro-coal policy agenda A DRAMATIC increase in US coal consumption was “by far the biggest contributor” to the overall increase in global CO2 emissions last year, a report has revealed. According to the Energy Institute’s latest Statistical Review of World Energy, US coal consumption increased by 10% in 2025, compared to a 0.7% rise globally. The review’s chief Selene Law told reporters last week that the growth in US coal “is the main reason why we have seen global CO2 emissions rise this year. In fact, the US is by far the biggest contributor to this.” The rise in coal use was largely driven by the growth of data centres.
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