Coal Industry Faces Divergent Global Transitions

As the global coal industry faces mounting economic and environmental challenges, countries are taking varied approaches to its future. In the UK, a potential Bank of England interest rate cut and Chancellor Rachel Reeves' visit to repurposed former coal sites for community and housing use signal new directions, though tax hikes remain an issue. In the US, the Trump administration is actively keeping coal plants open, issuing emergency orders and rolling back environmental regulations despite health and environmental benefits from plant closures. Innovative technologies, such as using dirt piles for renewable energy storage, offer lower-cost alternatives to batteries and hydrogen, potentially transforming retired coal plants into green energy backups. These developments occur amid ongoing research into coal combustion's environmental impacts, particularly concerning ash and slag in smaller power plants. Air quality improvements in regions like the American Southwest from coal plant retirements are now threatened by recent policy reversals.