Coal consumption in the United States fell to 590 million st in 2019, extending a decline from its peak of 1.1 billion st recorded in 2007, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The power generation sector accounted for more than 90% of the nation’s total coal consumption. This sector generated 966,000 GWh in 2019, the lowest in more than four decades, amid fierce competition from gas-fired plants and wind turbines.
Coal use by the industrial and commercial consumers decreased from 98 million st to 48 million st between 2000 and 2019, EIA said. Manufacturing facilities account for 62% of US industrial coal consumption. Other users include coking plants and other industrial uses. Coal use by the metal manufacturing industry has been relatively low after contracting from 9 million st to 3 million st between 2010 and 2012. Coking plant coal consumption also declined from 29 million st in 2000 to 18 million st in 2019.
The commercial sector, which includes educational institutions, hospitals, and correctional facilities, made up less than 0.5% of US coal use. These users’ consumption fell from 4.1 million st in 2000 to 0.9 million st in 2019. Many of them use coal for space heating but have increasingly switched to natural gas.
