Reality Check: The Stubbornness of Coal Consumption

Despite frequent pronouncements that the world should stop using coal, it still consumes vast amounts of black rocks. According to the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review of World Energy, coal's global primary energy consumption was about 15% above natural gas in 2022 and only 15% lower than crude oil. Coal consumption has yet to decline. Instead, coal use has plateaued for the better part of the last decade. Because of its carbon intensity and large consumption, Peter and Jacki...