In 2023, approximately 237 million short tons of coal was produced in Wyoming, which was by far the leading coal-producing state in the United States. West Virginia was the second-largest coal producing U.S. state that year, with production amounting to 84.6 million short tons.

Wyoming was the leading U.S. state by coal production in 2023, with an annual production of ***** million short tons. West Virginia and Pennsylvania followed, with a coal production of **** and **** million short tons.

Coal production in the United States amounted to 11.8 exajoules in 2023, a decrease of nearly two percent in comparison to the previous year. Between 1998 and 2023, production of coal in the North American country decreased by around 12 exajoules, reaching a production peak in 1998.

Key information about United States Coal Production

• United States Coal Production was reported at 526.517 Tonne mn in Dec 2023
• This records a decrease from the previous number of 539.009 Tonne mn for Dec 2022
• US Coal Production data is updated yearly, averaging 904.958 Tonne mn from Dec 1981 to 2023, with 43 observations
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,063.047 Tonne mn in 2008 and a record low of 485.738 Tonne mn in 2020
• US Coal Production data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by BP PLC
• The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Metal and Mining Sector – Table WB.BP.PROD: Coal Production

Texas is the largest coal energy consuming state in the U.S., using some 926 trillion British thermal units worth in 2022 in the electric power sector. Ranking second, Indiana consumed roughly 580 trillion British thermal units that same year. Most of the states listed are also heavy coal-producing states.

Peabody Energy Corp was the leading coal producer in the United States in 2023, with an 18 percent share of the total coal production in the U.S. that year. Arch Resources ranked second that year, with a production share of 13 percent of the total coal U.S. production. Leading U.S. coal miners’ production volumes The coal industry in the United States remains dominated by a handful of major players, with Peabody Energy Corp leading the pack. The company’s leading position in the U.S. coal industry is due to its coal production volume of 104.3 million short tons in 2023, the largest of any producer in the country. Arch Resources followed in second place with 75.3 million short tons of coal produced that year. The total U.S. coal production volume in 2023 amounted to 11.84 exajoules, or nearly 578,000 short tons, indicating that the top two U.S. coal producers accounted for a significant proportion of the country's overall coal output. This concentration of production among the top companies highlights the consolidated nature of the U.S. coal sector. U.S. coal companies’ revenue comparison Peabody Energy Corporation saw its revenue reach 4.95 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. In second place, as with production volume, Arch Resources’ revenue amounted to nearly 3.15 billion U.S. dollars that year, marking a decrease of almost 600 million U.S. dollars from 2022. Meanwhile, another major player in the industry, Consol Energy reported an annual revenue of around 2.57 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Real Gross Domestic Product: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324) in the United States (USPETCOALMANRGSP) from 1997 to 2023 about coal, petroleum, nondurable goods, GSP, private industries, production, goods, private, manufacturing, real, industry, GDP, and USA.

Peabody Energy Corp was the leading coal producer in the United States in 2023, with an annual production volume of 104.3 million short tons. Arch Resources Inc and Navajo Nation ranked second and third, with a production of 75.3 and 45.7 million short tons, respectively.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324) in the United States (USPETCOALMANNGSP) from 1997 to 2023 about coal, petroleum, nondurable goods, GSP, private industries, production, goods, private, manufacturing, industry, GDP, and USA.

There were roughly 25.5 million short tons of coal produced underground from coal beds with thicknesses of 79 to under 85 inches in the United States in 2023. At that same time, there were some 288 million short tons of coal produced on surface mines from coal beads with thicknesses over 120 inches during the same period.

United States Total Energy Production: Coal data was reported at 11.743 BTU qn in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.043 BTU qn for 2022. United States Total Energy Production: Coal data is updated yearly, averaging 21.049 BTU qn from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2023, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.045 BTU qn in 1998 and a record low of 10.703 BTU qn in 2020. United States Total Energy Production: Coal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by U.S. Energy Information Administration. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.EIA.IES: Energy Production and Consumption: Annual.

In 2023 there were nine occupational fatalities in the United States coal mining industry, among a total of 68,631 U.S. coal miners. Within the last two centuries, the largest number of occupational fatalities in the United States coal mining industry was registered in 1910 when 2,821 coal miners died. Since then, this figure has reduced significantly. Which was the deadliest coal mining disaster of U.S. history? Coal extraction has been active in the U.S. since the 18th century. As an exploitation activity, it has been related to several occupational disasters. The most fatal coal mining accident recorded in U.S. history happened in 1907 in West Virginia: the Monongah mine disaster. It resulted in the death of 362 workers, after an explosion happened in mines six and eight. Where is coal produced the most in the U.S.? Environmental concerns and shifting demand have progressively declined coal production in the U.S. in recent years. This is also reflected in the decreasing number of active coal mines in the country over the last two decades. Nevertheless, the production of coal in U.S. states is still significant. For instance, Wyoming was by far the leading coal-producing state in the country in 2023, followed by other key states West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Graph and download economic data for Real Gross Domestic Product: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324) in California (CAPETCOALMANRGSP) from 1997 to 2023 about coal, petroleum, nondurable goods, GSP, private industries, production, CA, goods, private, manufacturing, real, industry, GDP, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Gross Domestic Product: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324) in Virginia (VAPETCOALMANNGSP) from 1997 to 2023 about coal, petroleum, nondurable goods, VA, GSP, private industries, production, goods, private, manufacturing, industry, GDP, and USA.

Pennsylvania is home to the greatest number of coal power stations in the United States. As of July 2024, the Northeast state had 15 operational coal-fired power plants. This was two and three stations more than Texas and Indiana, which respectively ranked second that year. How is coal used in the U.S?  Coal is a combustible fuel and a primary energy source used to produce electricity and heat in the U.S. However, since 2008, coal-fired electricity generation in the U.S. has experienced a downward trend. The electric power sector accounts for the greatest consumption of coal in the U.S. Although the fossil fuel has historically played a larger role in the industrial sector, today its role therein has slowly diminished. Its primary function outside of energy production is in iron manufacturing via coking coal.     The future of coal power plants in the U.S.   Generally, U.S. power production from fossil fuels is expected to decrease in the following years. Projections of coal power generation in the U.S. say that it will experience a significant decline by 2050. It is estimated that only 243 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity will be produced by then compared to the 832 billion kilowatt-hours generated in 2022. That represents a decrease of nearly 70 percent.

In 2023, 14,014 people were working in West Virginia's coal industry in total. Of that number, 10,823 of the employees worked in underground coal mines. Coal-mining in West Virginia and the Appalachian region Coal-mining in West Virginia accounted for over 14,000 jobs in 2023, with 10,823 jobs located in underground mines and 3,191 jobs dedicated to surface mines. In 2023, four of the 10 leading U.S. underground coal mines based on production were located in West Virginia. However, over the past decade, coal mining employment in the U.S. has declined considerably. In the Appalachian region, of which West Virginia is a part, there were nearly 28,000 coal mining jobs in 2023, down from over 56,000 in 2010. West Virigina's standing as a U.S. coal producer West Virginia's coal deposits have been known since the early 1700s, while large-scale coal mining began there in the mid-1800s. Today, coal is mined in 21 of the state's 55 counties. Although West Virginia is not the largest coal producing state in the U.S., it came in second place as of 2023, only surpassed by Wyoming. That year, Wyoming produced 237 million short tons of coal, while West Virginia produced some 84.6 million short tons. Despite being one of the largest producers, coal consumption is greater in many other U.S. states than in West Virginia.

In 2023, the average annual sales price of coal in Alabama stood at *** U.S. dollars per short ton. Virginia and West Virginia followed with the second and third-highest coal sales prices that year, at ****** and ****** U.S. dollars per short ton, respectively. By comparison, Illinois's average coal sales price stood at ***** U.S. dollars per short ton.

Production of anthracite (or hard coal) in the United States has significantly declined in the past few decades. While nearly ** million short tons of anthracite were mined in 1950, by the 2000's this figure had dropped to *** million short tons, before declining further to around *** million short tons annually from 2001 onwards.

United States - Petroleum and Coal Products: Value of Production was 713.38200 Bil. of Current $ in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Petroleum and Coal Products: Value of Production reached a record high of 858.12300 in January of 2022 and a record low of 124.37000 in January of 1988. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Petroleum and Coal Products: Value of Production - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Chain-Type Quantity Index for Real GDP: Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (324) in the United States (USPETCOALMANQGSP) from 1997 to 2023 about coal, petroleum, quantity index, nondurable goods, GSP, private industries, production, goods, private, manufacturing, industry, GDP, and USA.