Coal-fired power plants release 9% more mercury in 2025
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 11
Coal-fired power plants release 9% more mercury in 2025
12 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 11
US plants emitted more than 4,800 pounds last year as power demand surged, reversing a yearslong decline in releases of the neurotoxic metal.
The Trump administration has promoted coal use, blocked tighter pollution controls due by 2027, reopened federal land to mining and pushed against wind and solar, experts say.
Some plants were also ordered to stay open instead of retiring; Michigan's J.H. Campbell plant emitted 36 pounds of mercury from June through December 2025.
As mercury pollution rises again, what are the hidden health costs of prioritizing grid stability over environmental rules?
Who ultimately pays the price for keeping aging, costly coal plants running to power America's energy needs?
With AI's energy demand reviving coal, can green technology possibly keep pace with our digital future?
Reversing Progress: The 2025 Trump Rollback of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and Its Impact on U.S. Public Health
Overview
In 2025, the Trump administration began a major regulatory rollback to support the coal industry, with the EPA proposing to repeal the stricter 2024 Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS) and revert to the looser 2012 rules. The administration argued this was needed for 'commonsense regulation' and reliable energy, but also ordered several coal plants, including Michigan’s J.H. Campbell plant, to stay open instead of retiring. These actions led to immediate increases in toxic emissions, raising concerns about public health and environmental impacts, as the weakened standards allowed more mercury and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants.