January 5, 2023 - Compared to the same 10 months of 2021, total shipments of West Virginia thermal coal to domestic utilities are up +9.6% in 2022.  Deliveries of domestic thermal coal from the Northern Appalachian region of the state are up +12.6% while domestic utility shipments from the state’s Central Appalachian are off -7.6% compared to the same time in 2021. 

Total U.S. shipments of coal to domestic power plants were up +2.6% in 2022 compared to the same 10 months of 2021.  Bituminous coal shipments were off -1.2% compared to the same time in 2021.  Sub bituminous and lignite deliveries are up +4.6% compared to the same time in 2021.  

Through October of 2022, electric generation at West Virginia’s nine coal fired power plants is down -15.6% from the same 10 months of 2021.  Total U.S. coal plant electric generation is off -10.4% compared to the same time in 2021.  

Coal stockpile data for West Virginia power plants has been withheld from publication by EIA since February 2021.  

Average stockpiles of bituminous coal at domestic power plants are down -27.7% from the same 10 months of 2021.  Average sub-bituminous coal stockpiles are off -24.8% from the same time in 2021.  Stockpiles of both bituminous and sub bituminous coal remain at historic low levels. 

Quantified as “days of burn”, average bituminous coal stockpiles are off -7.8% from the same 10 months of 2021 and average sub bituminous stockpiles are down -4.8%.