Peabody(US:BTU) 贝塔投资智库·2025-09-04 04:00Core Viewpoint - Peabody Energy anticipates a potential increase in U.S. coal consumption by up to 57% due to rising electricity demand and supportive government policies, marking a significant turning point for the struggling coal industry [1][2]. Group 1: Electricity Demand and Coal Consumption - The U.S. is expected to see a 25% increase in electricity demand by 2030, driven by increased factory electricity needs, higher household electrification, and the surge in power demand from AI data centers [5]. - Peabody estimates that if underutilized coal-fired power plants can operate at historical capacity levels, U.S. coal demand could increase by over 250 million tons in the coming years [1][5]. - Current coal consumption in the U.S. is projected at 439 million tons for this year, a 6.7% increase from last year, but still significantly lower than the peak of 1.13 billion tons in 2007 [1]. Group 2: Coal Plant Utilization and Challenges - The overall utilization rate of U.S. coal-fired power plants was only 42% last year, compared to 72% in 2008, indicating significant underutilization [5]. - Analysts caution that achieving the projected increase in coal demand is theoretical and contingent on all coal plants reaching pre-financial crisis operational levels, which is unlikely [5].