The agency attributes this rise to a 13 percent increase in coal power generation, partially driven by the proliferation of large-scale data centers. The national increase in power sector emissions represents the reversal of a longstanding trend. That demand has extended the life of some aging coal plants. Outside of the Western U.S., nearly every state generated more coal power in 2025 than it did in 2024. The rapid build-out of solar and wind power was supposed to reduce power emissions even further.