U.S. power demand is rising for the first time in over a decade, driven largely by the rapid buildout of power-hungry AI data centers that require a constant, scalable and highly reliable supply. That’s putting baseload resources like natural gas, coal and even nuclear plants back in the spotlight.
Enverus Intelligence® Research (EIR) has closely tracked the implications. As renewable projects face lengthy interconnection queues slowing development and shifting tax incentives, thermal plants are making a comeback. We find the surge in demand is already leading to delays in retirements across the thermal generation fleet, especially in high-efficiency combined-cycle natural gas units. Their continued operation provides round-the-clock power and ensures grid stability for power-hungry technologies like data centers. There is also talk of nuclear facilities like the Palisades Nuclear Generation Station in Michigan, shuttered in 2022, being re-powered.
The Trump administration recently approved a 14.5-million-ton expansion of Wyoming’s Antelope mine, framed to “unleash our nation’s energy potential.” While coal has been in long-term structural decline, we expect developments like this to signal a continued trend of extended shutdown timelines, not only in nuclear and gas but also in coal-fired facilities.
The combination of increasing load and delayed retirements underscores a central tension in today’s power markets: the need to balance decarbonization goals with the reality of surging electricity demand. As EIR research shows, baseload thermal resources long expected to fade are being called back into service to buy time for renewable and transmission projects to scale.
Research Highlights:
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel – U.S. Capacity Meets Global Mandates – This report explores the international offtake potential for U.S.-produced sustainable aviation fuel, focusing on supply-demand imbalances, policy drivers and operators best positioned to capitalize on global market gaps.
- Webinar – Beautiful Bill Act – What’s Next for Energy? – The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4 brought sweeping changes that included repealing or altering key energy tax credits. Developers and investors must now adapt quickly to a shifting policy and economic landscape. This presentation highlights technologies most affected, analyzes current project-level economics and identifies the developers best positioned for long-term success.
- Large Load Battery Optimization – The BESS of Both Worlds – This report focuses on EIR’s proprietary Bilevel Battery Optimization Model, which selects an optimal battery size and operating strategy for a given large load. It focuses on both behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter strategies, maximizing savings and revenue value streams. The model allows flexibility across different load profiles, pricing scenarios, tariff structures and battery parameters.
DID YOU KNOW?
The first central coal-fired power plant in the U.S., built by Thomas Edison’s Edison Illuminating Company in New York City, opened in 1882. The Pearl Street Station supplied electricity to just 59 customers in the Financial District of Manhattan.
About Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR)
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations, and macro-economic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies, and capital providers worldwide. See additional disclosures here.
