Order Reprints Text size Coal could gain share despite losing its greatest political champion—President Trump. George Frey/Getty Images Coal has been steadily dropping as a source of U.S. electricity generation over the past two decades. After peaking in 1998, the amount of coal produced in the country had fallen by 40% by 2019, and it dropped even more in 2020. But the next two years could see a reversal. The U.S. government now expects coal to rise from 20% of electricity consumption in 2020 to 22% in 2021 and 24% in 2022. What’s remarkable is that coal could gain share despite losing its greatest political champion—President Donald Trump. How could it suddenly be experiencing a mini-renaissance when it’s about to face much more stringent regulations?