The Heartland Institute is actively lobbying state lawmakers through the American Legislative Exchange Council to revive coal power, citing the massive electricity demands of artificial intelligence and data centers.

Key Points

• The Heartland Institute is pressuring big tech companies to abandon green energy commitments in favor of coal to power AI-driven data centers.
• ALEC has adopted model policies designed to prevent the closure of coal and natural gas plants and to streamline energy facility approvals.
• Legislative efforts in states including Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio have successfully introduced or passed bills favoring fossil fuel grid reliability.
• The International Energy Agency reported a 10% rise in U.S. coal consumption in 2025, reversing years of decline and contributing to record global carbon emissions.
• The Trump administration has intervened to keep aging coal plants operational, despite warnings from utilities regarding the high costs and inefficiency of these assets.

Why it Matters

This push to revive coal threatens to undermine long-term climate goals and corporate sustainability pledges by prioritizing short-term energy capacity for the AI boom. By influencing state-level legislation, these groups are creating a regulatory environment that could lock the U.S. into using outdated, high-emission energy infrastructure for decades.