The recent push for coal power in the US actually makes a lot of sense. A major trend in US power over the past few decades has been the replacement of coal power plants by cheaper gas-powered ones, fueled largely by low-cost natural gas from fracking. Much (most?) of the power for recently constructed US data centers have come from the continued operation of coal power plants that would otherwise been decommissioned.
The sheer cost (in both money and time) of building new coal plants in comparison to gas power plants still means that new coal power plants are very unlikely to be constructed. However, not shutting down a coal power plant is instant when compared to the 12-36 months needed to build a gas power plant.
The recent push for coal power in the US actually makes a lot of sense. A major trend in US power over the past few decades has been the replacement of coal power plants by cheaper gas-powered ones, fueled largely by low-cost natural gas from fracking. Much (most?) of the power for recently constructed US data centers have come from the continued operation of coal power plants that would otherwise been decommissioned.
The sheer cost (in both money and time) of building new coal plants in comparison to gas power plants still means that new coal power plants are very unlikely to be constructed. However, not shutting down a coal power plant is instant when compared to the 12-36 months needed to build a gas power plant.