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Forces Shaping Future U.S. Coal Production and Use

January 1, 2001

More than half of the electricity in the United States is generated by coal-fired powerplants. U.S. coal producers sell almost 90 percent of their product for electricity generation, and so, the future of the U.S. coal industry will be determined by the future of coal-fired electricity-generation plants.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is completing a National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) of five major coal-producing regions of the United States (fig. 1): (1) the Appalachian Basin, (2) the Illinois Basin, (3) the Gulf Coast, (4) the Colorado Plateau, and (5) the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. The Powder River and Williston Basins are the principal producing areas of the Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains region.

Publication Year 2001
Title Forces Shaping Future U.S. Coal Production and Use
DOI 10.3133/fs15800
Authors E. D. Attanasi, Brenda S. Pierce
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Fact Sheet
Series Number 158-00
Index ID fs15800
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization U.S. Geological Survey