Natural gas and renewable sources of energy are quickly replacing coal-fired power plants in the nation's energy portfolio. Economics, not regulations is determining what gets built, and what gets burned.

According to an article by Dvashre Saha and Sifan Liu, "the war on coal is a false narrative that oversimplifies what is happening in the energy economy."
The implications of that claim are that promises made by President-elect Donald Trump during the presidential campaign will likely be difficult to live up to. Moreover, even Trump's pick to lead U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, will find that dismantling environmental regulations won't be enough to reverse the trend away from coal and toward natural gas.
The post takes a look at some of the state's where energy use has shifted dramatically in recent years—even "red states" like Georgia, Ohio, and Kentucky are shutting down coal capacity quickly.
Saha and Lio share a final reference that's illustrative of the current energy marketplace: "As a recent study from the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin explains, in most of the United States, the cheapest power plant to build today tends to be natural gas combined-cycle plants or wind farms. New coal plants are more expensive to build in most places."
FULL STORY: Coal plant retirements will continue despite Trump’s EPA pick

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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