California's Coal Phase-Out 2025: Clean Energy Transition Guide
This November, California will be the first state to do something. The Golden State will completely end its last connection to coal-fired power, ending a relationship that has provided power to American homes for more than 100 years. The Intermountain Power Plant in Utah has been sending coal-fired power to Southern California utilities like the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for decades. Now, it won't be able to help customers in California anymore.
This decision is more than simply fulfilling a policy requirement. It's a risky test that could change how people all over the world think about getting rid of fossil fuels without leaving millions of people in the dark.
The Numbers That Started a Revolution
There has been a giant change. In 2007, coal plants made up almost half of the electricity used in the U.S. By 2023, that number had dropped to just 16.2%. California pushed even harder, reducing the share of coal in its electricity mix to 2.2% in 2024. Almost all of that came from a single facility in Utah.
Next month, operators will transition California to a nearly coal-free state. To fill that gap, though, we need a lot of infrastructure. Since 2019, the state has added more than 30,000 megawatts of new renewable energy and storage. ThThis is enough to meet half of the current peak demand.o So far this year, solar energy has increased by 15.1%.hThe wind speed increased by 2.1%.aBattery storage grew by 58.4% in just one year.
These aren't just numbers. ThThey illustrate solar farms throughout the Mojave Desert, wind turbines rotating atop the Tehachapi Mountains, and battery systems as large as warehouses capable of powering thousands of homes after sunset.
The Bet on Hydrogen
This where California's idea really starts to get intriguing.hThe state of California is investing billions of dollars in green hydrogen, a new technology that could address the major challenge of renewable energy: how to manage energy supply when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is transforming the Intermountain site into a hydrogen production center. Electrolysis, which splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, needs extra renewable energy. When there isn't enough hydrogen, it is stored and then burned to make electricity.
In theory, it's a fantastic idea. Solar panels don't work at night. Wind turbines don't move when it's calm. When there is a lot of energy, green hydrogen could store it and release it when there is a lot of demand. In the fall, the Avina plant in Vernon will open. It will be one of the biggest places in the country to make hydrogen. LADWP is turning its Scattergood Generating Station, the city's biggest natural gas plant, into a hydrogen-ready facility as part of its plan to get all of its energy from renewable sources by 2035.
But there is a big issue. Currently, stores sell hydrogen for about $20 to $30 per kilogram. First, California needs to test the technology on a much larger scale. The state is basically betting billions of dollars that prices will go down and technology will advance quickly enough to keep the grid stable.
The Price That No One Wants to Talk About
Let's be honest about how much things cost. Even though they use 34% less energy, Californians pay the most for electricity in the country—56% more than the national average. In 2025, rates hit 32.41 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Some studies say that switching to green energy will cost California homeowners between $17,398 and $20,182 per family. These numbers are not small. Businesses choose where to set up shop based on where they can get cheap, reliable electricity. Families make their budgets based on how much they spend on utilities. The challenging part is giving people long-lasting energy without making it too expensive or making businesses go.
The timing makes things harder. More and more people are getting electric cars. There are more and more centers for data. Overall, demand is still rising. California needs to replace the coal it uses and keep up with rising demand, all while avoiding the blackouts that have happened during heat waves.
Is the Grid Strong Enough?
People who are against it have good reasons to be worried. As California moves away from coal and nuclear power as its main sources of energy, people on social media sites like X have mixed feelings. Some people are worried about how reliable the new sources will be. Past grid failures during extreme heat continue to haunt these talks.
Some energy experts are not sure if batteries and hydrogen can really make up for the loss of coal's steady output and the limited availability of nuclear power after long fights over plants like Diablo Canyon. As demand from electric cars and data centers rises, the grid's ability to handle stress will be put to the test.
Supporters give facts in response. Batteries these days can run out of power for hours, not just minutes. Today, grid management software has the ability to manage thousands of energy sources dispersed across a vast region. Some studies even show that California can run on 100% clean, renewable electricity without any blackouts for 98 days at a time. The switch was possible without the power outages that plagued California until 2020 thanks to better storage technology.
A global movement is watching over California.
California's shift away from coal is part of a larger trend happening all over the world. Italy said it would stop using coal in 2017. The UK has been letting the public know how things are going as it works toward 2025. China, which uses the most coal in the world, is also thinking about getting rid of it by 2050.
These national promises are important for the 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions and for international climate agreements. California's actions at the state level show that regional governments can make climate policy. These actions could change federal policies and encourage other states in the U.S. to do the same.
Energy experts worldwide are closely monitoring this development. The Intermountain Power Project, capable of producing 1,800 MW of power, is one of the largest coal plants scheduled to close in 2025. If California can eliminate coal and remain reliable, it will show other industrial economies how.
The real test begins in November.
The date of November 2025 isn't the end; it's the start. The real test will begin when coal is no longer part of California's energy mix. Is the grid ready for the summer heat waves? Will battery storage be able to grow fast enough? Will green hydrogen be able to keep its word?
It's a big job to keep track of thousands of solar panels, wind farms, and battery systems. When making power depends on the sun and wind, it's critical to be able to predict the weather. Grid operators must always keep supply and demand in balance. They must send out stored energy at the right time and keep enough reserve capacity for emergencies.
A Whole New Way to Look at Electricity
California's switch isn't just about switching from one source of power to another. It's a big change in how modern cultures make power. For over a hundred years, people made power by burning things like coal, oil, or natural gas. California is demonstrating that harnessing natural forces can generate a significant amount of consistent electricity.
The effects go far beyond the grid. People who work in traditional energy fields need help making the switch. Fossil fuel companies need to find new ways to make money in the places they set up shop. The Intermountain plant's closing hurts not only California but also Utah communities that have depended on it for decades.
California isn't just going to stop using coal. The state aims to use only renewable energy by 2045, with hydrogen as a key source. The amount of money set aside for hydrogen projects grew sevenfold, from $10 billion for 102 projects in 2020 to $75 billion for 434 projects in 2024. One of the biggest green hydrogen plants in North America is the Lancaster Clean Energy Center. It will cost $1.85 billion and open in 2027.
What's Really at Stake
The end of coal mining in California is more than just a good thing for the environment. It's a real-world test to see if major changes to clean energy can work without making things less reliable or more expensive.
Business, government, and environmental leaders will closely examine every step of the process to see what works, what doesn't, and what goes wrong. The project teaches us important lessons about how to balance our goals for the environment with the realities of the economy, our ideals with our dependability, and our hopes for the climate with the limits of the real world.
If it works, it could speed up the use of clean energy around the world and give other industrial economies a model that works. Setbacks could slow down progress in other areas and confer more power to critics who say that switching to renewable energy sources could make the system less stable.
California is hoping that new ideas, money, and political will will help them get rid of coal while still meeting the growing need as November 2025 gets closer. We should take a moment to remember the leaders who were right when they said that California could switch to renewable energy sources that are cheaper and more reliable.
No matter what, the world is watching to see if that bet pays off. The stakes are as high as they can be.
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