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U.S. Coal-fired Generating Capacity Retirements in 2025 Are Less Than 20 Percent of Retirements in 2022

LCG, April 13, 2026--The EIA today released an "In-brief Analysis" of U.S. coal-fired generating capacity retirements in 2025. A highlight of the analysis is that, during 2025, the electric power sector retired 2.6 GW of coal-fired generating capacity at four power plants, which is (i) the least since 2010 and (ii) 5.9 GW less than the planned retirement of 8.5 GW at the beginning of 2025.

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EPA Proposes Rule Changes to Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Requirements to Restore American Energy Dominance

LCG, April 10, 2026--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday a rule proposing several revisions to the federal regulations governing the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR) and the beneficial use of CCR. The EPA designed the rule to encourage resource recovery, allow for site-specific considerations in permitting, and provide regulatory relief while continuing to protect human health and the environment. The EPA will be accepting comments on the rule for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, and it will also hold an online public hearing on the rule.

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Industry News

Cheaper, Plastic Solar Cells to Come

LCG, April 1, 2002-- Semiconducting plastics may make solar cells easier and much cheaper to make.

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a nano-scale combination of conducting rods and liquefied semiconducting plastic. The neophyte cell produces a tiny bit of electricity and will take a decade or so of development before being applied commercially. However, the use of specially designed and carefully manipulated molecules have opened up the range of possibilities for solar cells, which up to now have been most successfully made from silicon.

The Berkeley team, headed by Paul Alivisatos, receives federal funding from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, less than $300,000 for three years.

According to the Sacramento Bee, Alivisatos says that the group's photovoltaic process could be used in small applications within 2 to 5 years.

Silicon and other crystalline semiconductors are costly to produce because of their high melting temperatures and the need for extremely "clean" production conditions. Recently discovered plastic semiconductors are much cheaper to produce.
While today solar energy involves the roundabout process of heating water into steam to power electricity-producing turbines, solar cells sidestep the turbine and convert the sun's rays directly into electricity.

U.S. and Japanese researchers, including University of California, Santa Barbara professor Alan Heeger, shared the Nobel prize in 2000 for plastic conductivity.

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