power demand

02Sep

The Age of Electricity Is Becoming the Age of Energy Backlash

International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol has labeled the coming decades “the Age of Electricity.” Global electricity demand is growing at twice the rate of total energy demand. Whether it’s the emergence and rapid adoption of air conditioning, electric vehicles or data centers, surging electricity demand is upending both energy policy and politics.  As Politico’s Ben Storrow […]
26Aug

The Electricity Demand Story Everyone Is Missing

The world is using more electricity than ever. Global power demand reached a record high in 2025, growing at more than twice the rate of overall energy demand. But the single largest driver of that growth isn’t artificial intelligence, data centers or electric vehicles. It’s air conditioning. Speaking at an oil and gas conference in […]
18Aug

Hidden in Plain Sight: Existing Coal Plants offer the Generation that Today Demands

Thanks to this new age of electricity demand and power-hungry data centers, the U.S. currently has record amounts of electricity generation in development. But that build out is getting both harder and more expensive, in the face of demand that waits for no one. What’s the holdup? Baseload power projects requiring natural gas turbines are […]
12Aug

Coal to the Rescue: Geopolitics and Rising Electricity Demand Require American Coal 

Surging electricity demand and the reprioritization of energy security are reconfirming coal’s irreplaceable role in the global economy.   Global electricity demand is soaring from industrial expansion, electric vehicle deployment, rapid uptake of air conditioning and data center rollouts, among other factors. And as demand soars, so does the need for secure, reliable energy, with the Iran conflict continuing to disrupt global energy markets.   According to […]
14Jan

An AI Power Tipping Point

The AI and data center boom is now driving the electricity and affordability crisis. Just this week, President Trump took to Truth Social to show he’s focused on the challenge, writing, “I never want Americans to pay higher electricity bills because of data centers.” He added that his team is now working with technology companies […]
08Jan

A New Record

Despite years of forecasts of imminent decline, coal demand keeps growing. While the final numbers aren’t in, the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently found global coal demand was on track to rise by 0.5% in 2025, reaching a record 8.85 billion tonnes. With energy affordability and security globally paramount, the irreplaceability of coal shouldn’t be that surprising. […]
19Nov

Surging Power Demand Adds to Winter Reliability Woes

New analysis sees U.S. peak power demand jumping a stunning 166 gigawatts (GW) in the next five years. The surge in new demand comes overwhelming from data centers. To put this new demand into perspective, the jump is equivalent to 15 times the peak demand of New York City. The estimate comes from Grid Strategies, […]
15Oct

Coal Demand is Up and Utilities Recognize the Value of their Plants

U.S. coal generation is roaring. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. electric power sector consumed 15% more coal in the first half of 2025 than in the first half of 2024. Higher electricity demand and higher natural gas prices are driving the uptick. And it’s these two dynamics – along with ongoing […]
01Oct

Coal’s Moment

This may be hard to digest for some, but the United States needs to ramp up both coal production and coal powered generation. As the coal fleet quietly and repeatedly proves itself to be a critically important tool to address eroding grid reliability during times of maximum demand, it’s past time to recognize the value […]
10Sep

Can We Win the AI Race and Shield Consumers from Rising Power Prices?

Every week brings more news about surging power demand, rising electricity prices and the need for more dispatchable power. Political frustration with rising prices is beginning to collide with the desire to win the AI race and build the data center infrastructure needed to support this remarkable technological moment. In the latest sign of the […]