In America fewer than half as many coal-fire plants survive today compared to 2007
climbs a roadside platform and gazes at the sweeping, flower-strewn landscape of northern Wyoming. Immediately before him is a vast hole. Eagle Butte, a canyon of grey and brown rock, is one of the largest coal mines in America. The commissioner of Campbell County calls it a mainstay of the economy. Nearby Gillette, for example, has a swanky recreation centre, decent public-health services, a community college and more, all thanks to coal revenues, he says.
In reality Blackjewel’s troubles reflect industry-wide woes. Cloud Peak Energy runs three mines nearby and declared bankruptcy in May. Six Wyoming operators have done so since 2015. Some are consolidating, others have restructured and reopened. Nonetheless, production is slumping. America consumes 40% less coal than at its peak in 2005. Just over a decade ago, thermal coal produced half the nation’s electricity; today it accounts for little more than a quarter.
Academics from Columbia University forecast coal consumption crumbling by another 25% in the coming decade. For Campbell County, which digs two-fifths of America’s coal, that may be the best it can hope for. Many power plants now mix gas with coal, cutting demand. If other energy sources get cheaper, or if congressional Democrats succeed in passing laws designed to limit carbon emissions, demand will fall faster.
Such denial helps nobody. Jim Ford, another local who works on diversifying the local economy away from mining, concedes there is “widespread distaste for carbon-flavoured kilowatts, [so] it doesn’t matter what we think.” Locals also know that exports alone won’t save the county. Governors of western coastal states refuse to let their ports be used—or a new one be built—for shipping Wyoming coal.
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