As Coal Use Wanes, U.S. Miners Depend on Foreign Buyers, Steel
- Production this year expected to be second-lowest since 1978
- Miners that rely on U.S. power generators are struggling
Photographer: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
It keeps getting harder to sell coal in the U.S.
U.S. miners are forecast to cut production 4.7 percent in 2018 as electricity generators shift increasingly to natural gas and renewable energy, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The expected total of 736.3 million short tons would be the second-lowest since 1978, and just barely more than 2016, a year filled with mine closures, mass firings and bankruptcies.