Things have changed in the energy generation area, in a lot of ways. In March 2004, for example, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) coal-fired generation produced 154.3 GWh of electricity, while wind produced just 1.3 TWh.

Twenty years later, in April 2024, electricity generation from wind established a new record in the United States, with wind generation exceeded coal-fired generation in both March and April.

U.S. wind generation exceeded coal-fired generation for the first time in April 2023 but did not do so again until March 2024. This past spring was the first time U.S. wind generation has exceeded coal-fired generation for two months in a row – March and April. (Wind power generally produces the most electricity in the springtime in the United States.)

During the first four months of 2024, coal-fired generation was 15 percent higher than wind generation in the United States. However, in March 2024, wind installations in the United States produced 45.9 TWh of electricity, compared with 38.4 TWh from coal-fired power plants. In April 2024, coal-fired generation fell to 37.2 TWh, while wind generation increased to a record 47.7 TWh.

Installed wind power generating capacity has increased substantially in the United States over the last 25 years, growing from 2.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 150.1 GW in April 2024. By contrast, a substantial number of coal plants have retired over the past 25 years, with total coal capacity falling from 315.1 GW in 2000 to 177.1 GW by April 2024.

Other sources of electricity generation have also increased during the time that coal-fired generation has declined. Since 2000, electricity from solar power has increased by 99.1 TWh, and generation from natural gas, which is often more price competitive than coal in electricity market dispatch, has increased by 287.6 TWh.

Following the record wind capacity additions of more than 14.0 GW in both 2020 and 2021, introduction of new U.S. wind facilities slowed in 2022 and 2023. Operators expect 7.1 GW of wind capacity to come online in the United States in 2024

With 22.3 GW of U.S. coal-fired electric generating capacity being retired over the past two years, operators plan to slow coal retirements in 2024, planning to retire 2.8 GW of coal-fired capacity in 2024.