June 18, 2021 - This week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that year-to-date coal production has grown to nearly 241 million tons, an 8.7% increase over where the industry stood last year. Wyoming leads the nation with approximately 103 million tons, an increase of 6.4%, followed by West Virginia, 35 million tons (up 16.1%); Pennsylvania, 19 million tons (up 16.7%); Illinois, 18 million tons (up 24%); North Dakota, 14 million tons (up 18.2%); Montana, 12 million tons (down 1.2%); and Kentucky, 11 million tons (up 7.1%).

The EIA expects U.S. coal production to total 600 million short tons in 2021, 11% more than in 2020. The increase is driven primarily by rising electricity demand. In 2022, it expects coal production to grow 1% by an additional 5 million short tons.