Coal: Production and Consumption

Once coal is mined, it goes through a cleaning process to increase its heating value. Then, it is transported and ultimately burned to release its energy.

Once the coal is extracted from the ground, it usually goes to a preparation plant located near the mine similar to the one pictured here. The plant washes the coal to clean away unwanted materials—like rocks, dirt, and ash—which increases the coal’s heating value.

Coal is most commonly burned in electric power plants to provide electricity to the grid. Most of the US coal is used for electricity. A small amount is exported. The remaining coal is used in a variety of industries—such as steel, paper, and cement. These industries use not only the coal’s heat but also some of its byproducts.

Global Distribution of Coal Output

50 countries around the world mine coal. It’s found almost everywhere in the world, and remarkably, is almost absent from the Middle East. The purest, hardest form of coal—anthracite—is found in Pennsylvania. So much has been extracted over the years that there is very little left. However, there are large amounts of lesser types of coal throughout America and all over the world.

DID YOU KNOW? Because coal is so plentiful, it is relatively cheap if you do not account for the environmental damage it creates.