U.S. greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.4% in 2025 as coal use rebounded

America’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.4 percent in 2025 after two years of decline, according to estimates published Tuesday by the Rhodium Group. The researchers identified two main reasons for the uptick: U.S. electricity demand grew at an unusually fast pace — driven in part by an expansion of power‑hungry data centers for artificial intelligence, an upswing in domestic manufacturing and the spread of electric vehicles — and electric utilities burned about 13 percent more coal in 2025 than in 2024.

Colder winter temperatures also led many buildings and homes to burn more natural gas and fuel oil for heating. "We don’t see a large emissions impact in 2025 from the Trump administration’s actions, although we obviously expect those to have an increasing impact as we go forward," said Michael Gaffney, a research analyst at the Rhodium Group.

Electricity demand grew 2.4 percent nationwide, with the biggest increases in Texas, the Mid‑Atlantic and the Ohio Valley. Natural gas prices bounced back as producers exported more fuel and heating demand rose, making it economic for utilities to run more coal; some utilities postponed planned retirements and the Energy Department ordered eight coal‑burning units to stay open.

At the same time solar power generation grew 34 percent and wind increased modestly. "If it weren’t for the growth of solar, we’d probably be in an even worse spot this year than we already are, emissions‑wise," said Ben King, a director at the Rhodium Group.

Key Topics

Science, Rhodium Group, Coal, Data Centers, Electricity Demand, Trump Administration