Coal-fired plants are closing but US coal exports are up

More than half the coal mines in the United States have closed over the past 10 years, reflecting a broad shift away from expensive coal-fired power generation to cheaper sources of power such as natural gas, wind and solar energy. Coal production peaked in 2008 and has fallen by more than one-third since then, according […]

EIA: In 2018, U.S. Coal Exports Were the Highest in Five Years

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau While U.S. coal consumption has generally declined since its 2008 peak, EIA expects that U.S. coal exports reached 116 million short tons (MMst) in 2018, the highest level in five years, based on foreign trade data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. Exports […]

Alabama met coal industry, Port of Mobile helping each other grow

Few, if any, single entities are more important to Alabama’s economic success than the Port of Mobile. But the main industry fueling the port’s own surge might surprise some people. As announced Monday by the Alabama Coal Association (ACA), the Yellowhammer State’s metallurgical (met) coal industry is booming. This is the type of coal sometimes referred to […]

11 million tons of Alabama met coal shipped in 2018

The Alabama Coal Association says 11 million tons of mined met coal was exported last year. That adds up to $2 billion worth of metallurgical coal – which is used in steel production – being shipped out through the Port of Mobile. ACA President Patrick Cagle said in a statement that the mineral is “quietly […]

Alabama Coal Industry Posts Record in Met Coal Exports

Alabama’s coal industry posted a gain in 2018. According to the Alabama Coal Association, the state exported 11 million short tons of metallurgical (met) or “coking coal” last year. Valued at $2 billion, the met coal was shipped through the Port of Mobile to steel manufacturers in Europe, South America and Asia. “Met coal is […]

Met coal exports reach $2 billion in 2018

In 2018, 11 million tons of Alabama-mined met coal was exported to global steelmakers, which totaled $2 billion worth of the coal being shipped through the Port of Mobile. This high dollar amount has not been recorded in recent history. The Alabama Coal Association released statistics on Tuesday detailing met coal exports for 2018 that […]