Trump's coal revival plan faces $18 billion cost hurdle for new plants with carbon capture

rollingout.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

The Trump administration has announced over $100 million in federal funding to study two new coal plants in West Virginia and Alaska, but independent estimates put the combined construction cost at nearly $18 billion. Both plants would include carbon capture technology, which remains expensive and unproven at commercial scale. Analysts say the projects face tough economic odds against cheaper natural gas and solar power, and may struggle to secure financing or long term customers. Even with federal backing, the proposed coal plants highlight the tension between political support for coal and market realities. Newer coal plants in Colorado and Texas have suffered extended outages and mechanical failures, raising questions about reliability. The administration argues coal provides dependable baseload power for growing demand from data centers and manufacturing, but experts say the economics of coal with carbon capture still don't compete with natural gas or renewables. Whether these projects move past the planning stage will depend on financing, regulatory approvals, and whether developers can prove they are competitive in a rapidly changing energy market.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

18 billion for two coal plants with carbon capture. That is a lot of money for technology that has not been proven at commercial scale on coal. Curious how they plan to finance this.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The article says the plants would cost more than natural gas or solar. That is the key point. If carbon capture is the goal, why not put it on gas plants that are already cheaper and cleaner? This feels like a political statement more than an energy plan.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions recent coal plants in Colorado and Texas had extended outages. That is a real problem. If new coal can't even run reliably, the reliability argument falls apart. Would like to see the capacity factors on those plants.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

The article says the DOE is committed to strengthening coal. But the market has been moving away from coal for a decade. 18 billion could build a lot of solar and storage. The economics just are not there for new coal with carbon capture.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions carbon capture support from both parties. But the real question is whether the policy incentives are enough to make coal with CCS competitive. Right now, the 45Q tax credit helps but not enough to close the gap with gas or renewables. The numbers need to work without subsidies.