Office of Coal

The Office of Coal leads research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects that stabilize, optimize, and grow the American coal industry, restoring it as a cornerstone of the U.S. energy mix. Through technology innovation and strategic modernization efforts, the Office works to ensure that coal remains a reliable, affordable, and resilient component of America’s energy system. Coal remains one of the top three sources of U.S. electricity generation and continues to lead global electricity generation, underscoring its enduring role in meeting domestic and international energy demand.

Aligned with the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office’s (HGEO’s) mission to unleash the full potential of America’s hydrocarbon and geothermal resources to provide affordable, reliable, and secure energy, the Office of Coal focuses on advancing technologies that expand domestic energy abundance, lower costs for consumers and businesses, and improve the performance of existing and emerging energy systems. 

The Office’s work includes: 

Modernizing and Extending the Life of Existing Coal Assets

• Identifying and evaluating aging and retired coal power generation assets for opportunities to upgrade or repower.
• Advancing carbon dioxide capture specifically for enhanced oil and gas recovery.

Optimizing Efficiencies Across the Coal Value Chain

• Developing policies, technologies, and processes to improve mine and combustion waste management.
• Developing and demonstrating advanced combustion and power generation techniques.
• Developing and demonstrating methods to decrease power generation ramping caused by intermittent sources.

Supporting the Growth of Coal-Based Power, Exports, and Manufacturing

• Increasing capacity factor through advanced energy storage techniques.
• Pursuing opportunities to decrease logistical costs and constraints associated with exporting coal.
• Supporting technology development for expanding coal-to-products viability.

In addition to its RD&D portfolio, the Office provides strategic analysis and leads coordination efforts across federal agencies, state partners, international stakeholders to advance national energy security and strengthen the resilience of the U.S. energy system. 

Alignment with Administration Priorities

The Office of Coal’s objectives are aligned with Secretary Wright’s nine strategic initiatives as outlined in the Secretarial Order, “Unleashing the Golden Era of American Energy Dominance.” This includes advancing energy addition, unleashing American energy innovation, strengthening grid reliability and security, and promoting affordability and choice for American consumers. These efforts also help advance President Trump’s Reinvigorating America's Beautiful Clean Coal Industry Executive Order, which calls for revitalizing domestic coal production, modernizing existing coal assets, and expanding coal’s role in meeting the nation’s growing energy demands, including the rapid expansion of data centers and energy-intensive industries. 

For more information, contact coal@hq.doe.gov. If there is a specific program area or topic(s) of interest, please include that in the subject line.