US power retirements are set to double by 2025, with more than 12.3GW of capacity planned for retirement during the year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
This marks a 65% increase from 2024, with coal accounting for 66% of these retirements.
The EIA has announced that US power generators plan to retire approximately 8.1GW of coal-fired power generation capacity in 2025.
This represents a significant increase compared to the 4GW retired in 2024.
The EIA highlights a sharp decrease in coal retirements in 2024 compared to the 9.8GW retired annually over the preceding decade.
Among the largest coal plants due for retirement in 2025 is the 1.8GW Intermountain Power Project in Utah. An 840MW natural gas combined-cycle power block will replace it in July.
Other significant retirements include the 1.33GW J H Campbell in Michigan and the 1.27GW Brandon Shores in Maryland.
Natural gas retirements are also on the horizon, with 62% coming from V H Braunig Units 1, 2, and 3 in Texas and Eddystone Units 3 and 4 in Pennsylvania.
These plants are retiring old steam units installed between 1966 and 1974.
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Johnsonville station will retire 16 simple-cycle combustion turbines totalling 754MW.
The TVA plans to replace them with 10 new aeroderivative gas turbines, adding 500MW of capacity.
Petroleum-fired power plants, which constitute 2.3% of US generating capacity, are also seeing retirements.
in 2025, 1.6GW of petroleum-fired capacity is scheduled for retirement.
The Herbert A Wagner power plant in Maryland will retire three oil-fired units totalling 828MW, while the TVA’s Allen power plant will shut down its 20-unit combustion turbine site totalling 427MW.
The EIA’s short-term energy outlook forecasts record power consumption in the US for 2025 and 2026.
The surge is due to higher electricity demand from AI and cryptocurrency data centres, along with increased use in homes and businesses for heating and transport.
The EIA predicts power demand to reach 4,179 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 2025 and rise to 4,239 billion kWh in 2026, exceeding the previous record of 4,082 billion kWh set in 2024.
