The technology race is fueled by coal, which is once again king.

• This is known both in Asian countries and in the US. Renewable sources such as wind energy and photovoltaics are weather-dependent and subject to significant variability.
• That's why coal is making a comeback. And it's back in a completely new role—no longer as a symbol of the old industrial era, but as a strategic energy resource in the US and Asian countries in the global AI race.
• We talk about the connections between industry and technology during the "New Industry Forum" conference.

Higher gas prices and growing demand for artificial intelligence are driving operators back to coal. US data centers are now switching to coal-fired power due to rising natural gas prices and rapidly growing electricity demand.

With the dynamic growth in energy demand, coal has been revived

Data center operators are racing to connect new capacity to the electricity grid, with accelerated load growth expected between 2026 and 2028. This surge in demand is fueling an unexpected surge in coal-fired power generation, which has increased by nearly 20 percent since the beginning of the year.

Last year, forecasts emerged that rising electricity demand—resulting from the growing number of data centers in the US—threatened to exceed available generating capacity, potentially extending the lifespan of coal-fired power plants. And this is happening. Without a doubt, coal is back in favor.

In Omaha, for example, an energy company withdrew its plans to stop burning coal to generate electricity, citing the need to service nearby data centers. According to local media reports, the company concluded that retiring the coal-fired generators at the North Omaha power plant would risk energy shortages in the region, given the growing demand for energy from these facilities.

Natural gas-powered generators were considered to power the ongoing data center boom. However, current gas prices have made this option less economically attractive.

In the USA, coal deposits occur in excellent geological conditions.

Hence the reliance on coal, which is often found in ideal geological conditions in the US . Consequently, operating costs are low.

Coal-fired power plants are expected to help the US meet growing energy demands stemming from the development of data centers, artificial intelligence, and other advanced industries. Coal-fired power plants are expected to shoulder the greater burden of meeting the country's electricity needs, including the multi-year expansion of data centers. Climate concerns have taken a back seat here.

Recently, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, "The real existential threat right now isn't the level of climate change. It's that we could lose the artificial intelligence arms race if we don't have enough power."

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the Trump administration "will treat climate change for what it is: a global physical phenomenon that is a side effect of the modern world." In his opinion, attempts to marginalize coal were a strategic mistake.

Keeping coal-fired power plants running in the US is part of a broader strategy to boost domestic electricity production, which will also include expanding nuclear power. The Trump administration has made increasing energy production a top priority, dismissing concerns about climate change, which the US president said at the United Nations is a "global hoax."

Coal production in the US is forecast to reach 530 million tons in 2025.

Plans call for increasing coal production. U.S. coal production is projected to reach 530 million tons in 2025, an increase of 18 million tons compared to 2024.

As we can see, not only the dynamically developing economies of Asia, including China and India, but also the United States under President Donald Trump will be increasing production and using increasingly more coal. Without this, as some point out, "obsolete" fuel, the dynamic development of data centers and artificial intelligence would not be possible.