Energy-related carbon dioxide output reached an unprecedented 38.4 billion tonnes worldwide in 2025, according to the latest figures. According to the International Energy Agency's Global Energy Review 2026, the rise of approximately 145 million tonnes represented a further year of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. Atmospheric concentrations reached 427 parts per million, with the United States responsible for over one-third of the overall increase worldwide.
Coal-fired generation, which had been on a downward trajectory, increased its output, while overall energy use rose by 10 percent. That increase, which substantially exceeded the global average rise of 0.7 percent in coal consumption, positioned electricity generation in the United States as the leading contributor to new carbon dioxide emissions over the previous year.
Selene Law, who leads the Energy Institute's Statistical Review of World Energy, identified the role played by the United States. Expanded coal output in the United States has been identified as a primary driver behind the uptick in global carbon dioxide emissions recorded this year. "The United States accounts for the largest share of contributions to this," she stated, with the remarks — carried by a broadcast outlet on 14 September 2026 — representing a shift that a number of analysts had not anticipated.
Figures from the US Energy Information Administration illustrate the scale of the increase. Carbon dioxide output from energy use in the United States climbed by approximately 2 percent, adding around 115 million metric tons to reach a total of nearly 4.9 billion metric tons. Electricity generation accounted for the largest share of that increase, with output-related emissions rising by 4 percent. Total electricity output rose by 3 percent, setting a new all-time high.
Elevated temperatures over the summer period drove air-conditioning and cooling demand to record levels, while industrial output resumed across a number of regions. Coal-fired power output rose by 13 percent, contributing an additional 85 terawatt-hours. Coal-related carbon output rose by 78 million metric tons as a result.
Output from natural gas generation declined by 4 percent, while solar output rose 34 percent and wind contributed a 3 percent gain. A shift from gas to coal in the energy mix drove higher carbon intensity levels. Per unit of electricity generated, coal produces approximately double the carbon dioxide output of other energy sources.
Elevated natural gas costs were a contributing factor behind the transition. Shipments of liquefied natural gas abroad reduced the volume available for domestic consumption. Temperatures dropped across several regions, driving up demand for home heating. Power companies determined that reactivating dormant coal-fired plants was more cost-effective than purchasing natural gas at peak pricing. Certain facilities originally scheduled for closure had their operating lifespans extended.
Government directives issued in the opening months of 2025 required certain power facilities to extend their operating hours, with authorities pointing to electricity network stability concerns driven by rising consumption. Power consumption at data centres — many of them built to support artificial intelligence training and inference workloads — played a notable role in driving up overall electricity demand. Roughly 40 percent of worldwide data centre power consumption is attributed to facilities located in the United States. Forecasts estimate that this sector alone could contribute several hundred terawatt-hours of additional output over the next few years.
Peak summer demand placed pressure on power networks, prompting utilities to draw on available dispatchable generation resources. Ageing coal-fired facilities that had previously logged minimal utilisation hours extended their operational time. Throughout much of the previous decade, greenhouse gas output from the country had been on a downward trajectory. By 2024, coal's portion of the electricity generation mix had fallen to roughly 15 percent, down from more than 40 percent in the early part of the previous decade.
Power utilities consumed 13 percent more coal in January 2026, according to industry data, with analysts pointing to expansion in data centre demand and fluctuating natural gas prices as contributing factors.
Power sector emissions in China held roughly steady or edged downward over the period. Growth in renewable energy accelerated while coal's share of power generation dropped by 1.4 percent. Demand from chemical manufacturing for coal partially counteracted those reductions, yet the nation's overall rise in emissions came to roughly 0.3 percent. Across Europe, consumption levels held largely flat or edged down only modestly, while in India, unseasonably variable weather pulled demand below projected growth trajectories.
According to IEA data, natural gas was the primary driver of emissions increases worldwide, while a shift from gas back to coal in the United States contributed more than 75 million tonnes of additional CO₂. The worldwide adoption of renewable energy sources continued to advance. According to the IEA, clean energy technologies including solar, wind, nuclear, electric vehicles, and heat pumps deployed from 2019 onwards prevented over 35 exajoules of fossil fuel consumption in 2025, accounting for roughly 7 percent of total worldwide fossil energy use. According to Ember's data, renewable energy sources accounted for more than a third of worldwide electricity generation, surpassing coal for the first time on record.
The administration expressed support for domestic coal mining and use, characterising the sector as a pillar of energy security and affordable electricity. Certain facilities were granted exemptions from environmental regulations. Royalty fees on government-owned land were reduced, and debt repayment timelines were extended.
According to a July 2026 article by Robert Rapier, North America accounted for 47 percent of the worldwide rise in emissions while making up just 16 percent of the overall total. On September 14, 2026, a broadcast outlet reported that Iowa, historically among the leading states in renewable energy adoption, recorded an increase in coal's proportion of utility generation as expansion of wind and solar capacity decelerated. Coal output at both MidAmerican Energy and Alliant Energy rose during the period. Releases of standard air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, rose correspondingly.
According to IEA forecasts, American coal consumption may fall at an average rate of around 6 percent per year through 2030, provided renewable energy growth continues and power plant retirements proceed as anticipated. Regulatory changes or prolonged elevated power consumption, however, have the potential to offset those projected reductions. Worldwide consumption of coal reached approximately 8.85 billion tonnes in 2025, marking a new peak.
Estimates from Carbon Brief and other analysts towards the end of 2025 placed the United States' share of that year's net rise in global fossil carbon dioxide emissions at as much as 40 percent. When the EIA released its completed 2025 data in September 2026, the figures aligned with what had previously been forecast.
Coal's role in driving up power sector emissions was evident from the data, and total output levels remain the relevant measure. Gains in emissions efficiency per unit of output can be counteracted by rising production volumes and shifts in energy sources. Power companies are weighing decisions on building new gas-fired plants alongside expanding solar, wind, battery storage, and transmission infrastructure, as well as restarting idled nuclear facilities. During this transitional period, coal-fired plants continue operating to meet demand at minimal additional cost.
Data from 2025 point to underlying friction within the ongoing shift away from fossil fuels. Electricity consumption continues to grow, while renewable capacity expands but has at times struggled to keep pace. Atmospheric measurements are recorded in absolute tonnage rather than proportional figures.
