From Newsgroup: alt.atheism

Trump plans on reviving red state USA's failing buggy whip industry next!

Don't worry, he's not spending your tax dollars, he's borrowing it from
China!

Trump's Coal Comeback Could Face A Brutal Economic Reality
Great Speculations

ByFrank Holmes,

Contributor.
CEO and CIO of U. S. Global Investors
for Great Speculations
Apr 14, 2025, 01:30pm EDTApr 14, 2025, 04:47pm EDT
coal miner in the hands of
coal miner in the hands of coal background
getty

Between raising and lowering tariffs on imported goods, President Donald
Trump made time last week to sign an executive order aimed at reviving America's "beautiful clean coal industry. " The order outlines an ambitious strategy to reclassify coal as a critical mineral, reopen federal lands to mining, fast-track environmental reviews and provide federal support for coal-fired electricity and coal exports.

The move comes at a pivotal time. Demand for electricity is surging as the
U. S. seeks to reindustrialize and build out new infrastructure to support artificial intelligence data centers, electric vehicles and high-
performance computing. According to S&P Global, the U. S. will see greater electricity demand growth in the next decade than in any 10-year period in history.
COMM-electricity-04112025
The U. S. projected to see record electricity demand growth over the next decade
U. S. Global Investors

Shares of Peabody Energyuthe largest U. S. coal producer, responsible for mining over 104,000 short tons in 2023uclosed up 9.21% last Tuesday. That
was the company's best one-day increase since November 6, 2024, the day
after Trump won his second term. Over the longer term, however, Peabody's stock has plummeted, losing close to 60% of its value since Election Day. COMM-coal-peabody-energy-04112025
U. S. coal leader Peabody Energy down close to 60% since Election Day
U. S. Global Investors
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I admire the president's focus on strengthening U. S. energy security. Reliable, affordable power is the bedrock of economic growth and national competitiveness. While I understand his intent, I believe the long-term investment case is moving in a different directionuand it's one that leans heavily toward renewables.
The Reality Of Coal Economics

Coal is often described as a powerful energy source, and indeed it helped build the industrial age. But today, coal is struggling to compete on cost. The levelized cost of electricity for new coal plants is more than double
that of solar, wind and natural gas, according to BloombergNEF. And that's before factoring in the environmental and public health costs of coal extraction and combustion.

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The simple truth is that coal is no longer the cheapest or cleanest option. COMM-coal-power-generation-04112025
Coal power generation is more than double the cost of other sources
U. S. Global Investors

The market knows this. Coal's share of power generation in advanced
economies has been in steady decline since it peaked in 2007, according to
the International Energy Agency (IEA).

In the U. S. , coal fell below 15% for the first time ever in 2024, and the trend is accelerating. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis projects that the remaining 115,000 megawatts of coal capacity
could be shuttered by 2040. Nearly a quarter of the existing U. S. coal
fleet is already scheduled to retire by 2029.

Many of the plants still online are operating far below capacity. Reopening closed plants, or extending the lives of aging ones, is highly inefficient. Maintenance costs increase with age, and many units are now over 50 years
old. The last large coal plant built in the U. S. came online in 2013, and since then, the pipeline has run dry.
A Global Shift

It's no secret that the global energy makeup is transitioning. Coal
generation hit a new record high in 2024, largely due to growth in emerging markets, but even in China and India, two of the world's largest coal consumers, ambitious plans are underway to increase cleaner energy. China
led the world in solar additions in 2024, while India is scaling up
renewables to meet its growing energy needs.

The U. S. saw coal consumption fall 4% last year, on top of a 17% drop in 2023. Meanwhile, renewables are setting new records. Just last month, U. S. wind and solar generation hit an all-time high of 83 terawatt-hours, while fossil fuels' share of the electricity mix fell below 50% for the first
time ever.

It's clear where the wind is blowing.
COMM-fossil-fuels-04112025
Fossil fuels accounted for less than 50% of U. S. electricity mix for first time
U. S. Global Investors
Follow The Smart Money

I believe this trend represents an attractive investment opportunity. Renewable capacity additions around the world surged by 25% last year, led
by solar and wind. Solar alone is expected to account for more than half of all new generating capacity in the U. S. this year, with my home state of Texas leading the way. More than a third of all new solar panels is
expected to be installed right here.

What's even more compelling is that renewables are now cheaper not just
than building new coal plantsuthey're cheaper than operating most existing coal plants. According to Energy Innovation, 99% of U. S. coal plants could
be replaced with new solar or wind at a lower cost.
AI and Data Centers

Again, I agree with President Trump that AI and data centers will be
massive energy consumers in the coming years. As executive chairman of HIVE Digital Technologies, I should know. Between now and 2030, electricity consumption by data centers alone is set to more than double to an
estimated 945 TWh. Pinning our hopes on coal to meet those needs is a backward-looking solution, I believe.

Coal may see a temporary boost from regulatory relief, and some investors
may profit in the short term. But in the long run, I think the writing is
on the wall. The global transition to cleaner, cheaper energy is well underway. Investors who want to stay ahead of the curve should follow the
data and the money.

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