Coal news and updates

The amount of US electricity generated from coal increases for first time in seven years, dealing blow to Biden's credibility as he heads to COP26 UN climate summit amid effort to cut carbon emissions

The amount of electricity produced from coal will increase in the U.S this year for the first time since 2014, according to new data, dealing a blow to President Biden's climate promises when he arrives in Scotland for a United Nations climate summit on Monday.

Cutting energy production from coal in favor of cleaner natural gas is at the forefront of efforts to tackle global warming, as developed nations tell India and China in particular to clean up.

But a surge in the cost of natural gas has seen the U.S. switching back to coal, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration

It said it expected 22 percent more coal-fired power this year than last year - the first annual increase since 2014.

The details brought fresh criticism from left and right that Biden was in danger of lecturing the developing world to 'do as I say, not what I do.'

Steve Milloy, senior policy fellow at the Energy and Environment Legal Instituteaid the surge in coal use was the result of policies that demonized natural gas.

'Utilities burn whatever is cheapest. That's coal right now,' he said.

'Biden is carrying out this war on natural gas. If he got his way fracking would go away and fracking is the only reason US emissions have gone down in the first place.

'If you do believe in reducing emissions, then you know, Biden's plan and his actions are entirely backfiring.'