Coal Age

The Ongoing Reliance on Coal In 2017, coal production in the United States increased by 8%, reaching a total of 787 million tons. The dynamics of supply and demand for power generation are undergoing changes. With the U.S. economy expected to grow, driven by easing regulations on manufacturing, electricity demand is likely to rise. Coal currently accounts for about one-third of the electricity generation mix and stands to gain from this demand surge. Globally, coal consumption exceeds 6 billion tons each year. Ten countries are major players in coal mining. China is the top producer and consumer, extracting 3.5 billion tons annually. India is set to use over 600 million tons of coal to supply electricity to 100 million people. Meanwhile, Australia plans to export more than 400 million tons to various international markets. Other notable coal-producing countries include Colombia, Indonesia, Russia, and South Africa.