In the week ending January 25, 2026, as Winter Storm Fern affected significant portions of the country, coal-fired electricity generation in the Lower 48 states increased 31% from the previous week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Jan. 28.
The increase contrasts with coal use in the earlier part of January, which had milder weather and consequently lower coal-fired generation compared with the same period in 2025, EIA said.
During the week of Winter Storm Fern, natural gas generation in the Lower 48 states increased 14% from the previous week while generation from solar, wind, and hydropower declined. Nuclear generation was nearly unchanged.
Coal accounted for 21% of all electricity generation in the Lower 48 states over the same period, up from 17% the previous week. Coal was the second-largest source of energy used for electricity, following natural gas, which contributed 38%. Nuclear was third at 18%.
“Grid operators can call upon the coal fleet to increase electricity generation in extreme weather events and other times when demand surges or output falls from other generation sources, a pattern also evident in severe cold snaps in February 2021 and January 2025,” the agency said.
