Air pollution from coal-fired power plants spiked in 2025, a striking reversal of long-term progress in air quality as the Trump administration boosted coal use.

The emission increases were among the largest in at least a quarter-century, on a percentage basis, as the bulk of about 210 power plants registered increased sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, EPA numbers show.

Releases of sulfur dioxide, a lung-damaging compound key to acid rain formation, soared by more than 18 percent, from about 597,000 tons in 2024 to 705,000 tons in 2025, according to data compiled by POLITICO’s E&E News.

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