U.S. Thermal Coal Mining Faces a Future Dimmed More by Economics than Politics

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS--December 31, 2020--Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On January 20, 2021, the coal industry's biggest fan, President Donald Trump, will be replaced by what could be the industry's biggest foe, as President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office. Biden's campaign platform included a plank on making the electric power sector carbon-free by 2035, which would dramatically curtail if not eliminate coal from the nation's electric power fuel mix. Coal's declining fortunes have been evident for some time. Within this article: Declining demand for thermal coal and the potential impact of the incoming Biden administration.