U.S. coal-fired generating capacity retired in 2025 was the least in 15 years

In-brief analysis

During 2025, the U.S. electric power sector retired 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generating capacity at four power plants, the least since 2010. At the beginning of 2025, coal plant operators had planned to retire 8.5 GW of capacity; however, 4.8 GW of planned retirements were delayed to a future year, and the operators of two coal plants (1.1 GW) cancelled plans to retire. In addition, the operators of 1.2 GW of capacity planned for retirement in 2027 cancelled their closure plans, and a facility slated to retire in 2026 has delayed its closure until 2029.

Annual retirements of capacity at coal-fired power plants have decreased since 2022 when operators retired 13.7 GW of capacity, or about 6.5% of the coal fleet operating at the end of 2021. In 2025, only four coal-fired power plants retired generating units, representing 2.6 GW of capacity, or 1.5% of year-end 2024 capacity:

• February 2025-Indian River Generating Station Unit 4 in Delaware (410 megawatts or MW)
• March 2025-Cholla Units 1 and 3 in Arizona (383 MW)
• October and November 2025-Intermountain Power Project Units 1 and 2 in Utah (1,800 MW)
• December 2025-Prairie Creek Unit 1 in Iowa (15 MW)

The largest coal plant that retired last year, Intermountain Power Project, was operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. This lost generating capacity was partly replaced by a new natural gas-fired combined cycle generating facility (1,017 MW), which opened at the same location in late 2025.

More coal-fired generating capacity likely would have retired in 2025, but the U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, directing several coal plants to temporarily remain available to operate with the goal of ensuring grid reliability:

• J.H. Campbell Units 1, 2 and 3 in Michigan (1,331 MW)
• Transalta Centralia Unit 2 in Washington (670 MW)
• R.M. Schahfer Units 17 and 18 in Indiana (722 MW)
• F.B. Culley Unit 2 in Indiana (90 MW)
• Craig Unit 1 in Colorado (427 MW)

Based on the most recent information that these coal plant operators have reported to EIA on the Monthly Update to the Annual Electric Generator Report, most of them have delayed the planned retirements from initially scheduled dates in 2025 to early-to-mid 2026. These emergency orders are in effect for up to 90 days but can be reissued, as was the case with J.H. Campbell.

Plant operators at three other coal-fired power plants with a combined 2.2 GW of capacity have also decided to delay retirements that were originally scheduled for 2025: Brandon Shores (Maryland), South Oak (Wisconsin), and Comanche (Colorado). Instead of retiring its coal-fired Unit 2, the operator of the Transalta Centralia Generating Station now plans to convert it into a facility that runs on natural gas. This conversion is currently scheduled for 2028.

In 2026, the U.S. electric power sector currently plans to retire 6.4 GW of coal-fired generating capacity, which accounts for almost 4% of the U.S. coal fleet that was in operation as of the end of 2025. But these plans could change depending on future regulatory decisions or other economic factors.

Principal contributor: Tyler Hodge

Tags: coal, generating capacity, retirements, power plants