Coal power stations in the U.S. 2025 by state

Pennsylvania is home to the greatest number of coal power stations in the United States. As of July 2025, the Northeast state had 14 operational coal-fired power plants. This was two stations more than Texas and Indiana, which ranked a shared second that year. 

How is coal used in the U.S?

Coal is used primarily to produce electricity and heat in the U.S. However, by 2024, coal-fired electricity generation in the U.S. was only a third of what it had been in 2008. The electric power sector accounts for the greatest consumption of coal in the U.S. Although coal has historically played a larger role in the industrial sector, today its role in both this sector and electricity production has slowly diminished in favor of oil and gas. Its primary function outside of energy production is in iron manufacturing via coking coal.

The future of coal power plants in the U.S.

Generally, U.S. power production from fossil fuels is expected to decrease in the following years. Projections of coal power generation in the U.S. say that it will experience a significant decline by 2050. It is estimated that only seven billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be produced by then compared to the 662 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025.