Biden’s energy policies will accelerate challenges for US thermal coal – Moody’s

Demand for thermal coal in the US will remain in secular decline in the 2020s, regardless of the outcome of the Presidential elections early next month, driven by a combination of factors, including persistently low natural gas prices and increasing emphasis on renewably energy.

However, thermal coal producers would see an accelerated decline in demand under policies proposed by Democratic candidate Joseph Biden, Moody’s Investor Service said on Tuesday.

With “greening the economy” at the centre of growth for the Democratic platform, there would be “substantial negative implications” for the thermal coal industry, with companies such as Alliance Resource Operating Partners, Arch Resources, Consol Energy and Peabody Energy.