Coal has powered America's industry and homes for centuries. Made up of compressed ancient plants and dirt buried deep underground, coal takes millions of years to create.

On this episode of Getting Grounded, our energy fundamentals series of mini episodes, we're joined by Jason Sierman, ODOE senior policy analyst, to discuss coal's role.

Coal burns hot and can be burned directly for use in a fireplace, for example, or indirectly by generating steam to power engines or produce electricity.

Since 2019, the coal used to generate electricity for Oregonians has shrunk from 21 percent to just over 8 percent in 2024. We expect the amount to continue to shrink as Oregon's largest electricity providers must remove coal from their mix beginning in 2030 (Senate Bill 1547 (2016)).

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