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Production
Coal was first mined commercially in the United States by early Huguenot settlers nearly two and a half centuries ago. Production grew consistently until 1947, when low-cost oil and natural gas began to dominate energy production.
The 1973-74 Arab oil embargo caused the nation to reevaluate its dependence on foreign energy resources, and coal - far more plentiful than domestic oil or natural gas - was again recognized as a valuable domestic resource. Production has risen steadily since then, to the point where today coal is the largest single source of domestic energy production, accounting for about one-third of total energy production in the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the coal industry is the nation's leading mining industry, based on the value of production. Of all fuel and non-fuel commodities mined, the quantity of coal currently produced ranks second only to that of crushed stone.
In 1996, the U.S. produced 1.06 billion tons, the tenth consecutive year that 900 million tons or more were mined. About 53 percent of this total was mined east of the Mississippi River, and 47 percent in the West. In general, U.S. coal production in recent years has been marked by the following major trends:
Western mines accounting for an increasing share of total production;
Fewer total number of coal mines, but larger average mine size;
Increased proportion of overall production from surface mines;
Increased proportion of overall underground production from longwall mining.
A total of 25 states produced coal in 1996. The highest ranked coal producing state was Wyoming, with 278 million tons; the lowest was Arkansas, with 21,000 tons. Including Wyoming, three states produced more than 100 million tons of coal; two produced between 50 million and 100 million tons; and 11 states mined between 10 million and 50 million tons. Two states set new all-time highs for coal production in 1996.
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