Peabody(US:BTU) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-09-04 01:47Group 1 - Peabody Energy predicts a potential increase in U.S. coal consumption by up to 57% due to rising electricity demand [1] - The company estimates that if underutilized coal plants can reach historical capacity levels, U.S. coal demand could increase by over 250 million tons in the coming years [1][2] - The U.S. coal consumption is projected to be 439 million tons this year, reflecting a 6.7% increase from last year, but still far below the peak of 1.13 billion tons in 2007 [2] Group 2 - The anticipated 25% growth in U.S. electricity demand by 2030 is driven by increased factory electricity needs, rising household electrification, and significant power requirements from AI data centers [2] - Current coal plant utilization in the U.S. is only 42%, compared to 72% in 2008, indicating significant untapped potential for increased production [2] - Analysts caution that achieving the projected 250 million ton increase in demand is highly theoretical and unlikely to be realized under current conditions [3]