Coal and natural gas-powered electricity helped Americans during the recent winter storm, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The agency explained that coal-fired electricity in the lower 48 states, in the week ending January 25, “increased 31% from the previous week.” The increase “contrasts with coal use in the earlier part of January, which had milder weather and consequently lower coal-fired generation compared with the same period in 2025,” the analysis adds. Meanwhile, natural gas use in the lower 48 states increased 14%.
Across all electricity generation, coal accounted for 21% in the lower 48 states.
A November report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation found that “[Bulk power system] stakeholders across North America note multiple fuel-related issues that are being monitored entering the winter season.” While coal “represents a waning share of the overall resource mix, it continues to play an important role in meeting demand during extreme weather events, and oil inventories at dual-fuel gas-oil generators lessen risks related to natural gas deliverability in infrastructure-constrained regions, especially during the winter.”
Last year, President Trump signed an executive order boosting the coal industry to meet the “rise in electricity demand due to the resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of artificial intelligence data processing centers.”
“We must encourage and support our Nation’s coal industry to increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies,” the order read.
Trump recently issued an emergency order last month requiring a Washington coal plant to remain operational through winter in order to prevent power outages.
