OVERVIEW

Coal has played a foundational and transformative role in shaping the Southeastern United States’ electric power system, industrial capacity, and long-term regional economic expansion. For decades, coal-fired generation underpinned the Southeast’s rise as a manufacturing hub, supported population growth across fast-expanding metropolitan areas, and provided reliable electricity necessary for defense installations, chemical production, transportation infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Although coal’s share of electricity generation has declined over the past decade due to sustained competition from low-cost natural gas, rapid renewable deployment, and regulation, it remains a strategically important component of the Southeast’s diversified energy portfolio.
The Southeast retains a large and operationally significant coal fleet. Coal continues to provide firm capacity during periods of peak demand, extreme weather stress, and intermittent renewable energy production, enabling grid stability in a rapidly growing region with rising electricity needs. Beyond its power-sector role, coal and coal-derived materials remain embedded in the Southeast’s industrial supply chains, particularly in construction, materials manufacturing, and emerging carbon-based product markets. This article examines coal’s historical role in the Southeast, assesses its current operational footprint as of 2026, and evaluates pathways to stabilize, modernize, and diversify the coal econonmy.