Coal's (too) Long Goodbye and the Future of Energy

A weathered chunk of coal sits prominently against the rugged backdrop, with an orange cabin nestled in the distance, highlighting the stark contrast between industry and isolation.

Coal is dying. It’s not dead yet, but it is very, very ill - and its decline is reshaping the future of energy.

In the United States, Trump is trying desperately to give coal new life. With reduced pollution laws, $625M in cash incentives, and the opening of 13 million acres of federal land for coal exploration, the administration hopes to rejuvenate an industry long past its prime.

But there’s a fly in this ointment. In Billings, Montana, on October 6, 2025, the largest coal sale in ten years took place. A decade ago, coal sold for $1.10 per ton. This time, there was only one bid: $0.016 per ton - less than one-thousandth of its former price. Twenty years ago, 70,000 coal miners worked in the U.S.; today, only 40,000 remain. The market, and the future of energy, are speaking clearly.

The first law against coal burning was enacted in 1306 in England - over seven hundred years ago - because of its harmful health effects. While coal is still used around the world, that’s changing rapidly. Even China, once the largest consumer, is pivoting toward cleaner technologies.

Today, natural gas is being promoted as a cleaner alternative to coal and petroleum. It is cleaner, but not clean enough to eliminate the threat of climate change. What we need is a new consumer ethic and transformative technology to define the true future of energy - one that sustains both people and planet. That transformation is coming, and I trust that with effort, it will arrive in time.

Royce William Warren