FIRE IN THE HOLE.
The major coal-producing states are (in descending order as of 2000, with annual production in thousands of short tons):
- Wyoming (338,900). (see Coal mining in Wyoming)
- West Virginia (158,257)
- Kentucky (130,688) (see Coal mining in Kentucky)
- Pennsylvania (74,619)
- Texas (49,498)
- Montana (38,352)
- Illinois (33,444)
- Virginia (32,834)
- North Dakota (31,270)
- Colorado (29,137) (see Coal mining in Colorado)
- Indiana (27,965)
- New Mexico (27,323)
- Utah (26,656)
- Ohio (22,269)
- Alabama (19,324)
- Arizona (13,111)
- As of 2012 coal accounted for 37% of electricity production in the United States, down from 50% in 2005. Concern about global warming in the US – especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Al Gore‘s receipt of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his raising awareness of climate change – temporarily increased public opposition to new coal-fired power plants. Simultaneously with these events, the anti-coal movement in the US – similar to that in the UK and Australia – had made coal-fired power projects more politically costly, and spurred further shifts in public opinion against coal-fired power.
Today, President Obama is expected to announce more stringent regulations that would inevitably put King Coal to bed. As noted above, power generation by coal has been in a slippery slope for the past decade. But with tougher regulations we can expect tough times for coal producing states. This does not bode well for employment in the coal industry including those railroads who haul it to market. The days of coal are over.
Make no mistake about it the war on coal has been a Democrat agenda for the past two decades. What really surprised us is that the states with the most to lose voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012; for instance Colorado, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Now that their head is on the table they are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. And don’t for get these are union men and women who have been back stabbed.
Click here for the story of a Brazilian coal mine, once worth $600 million, sold for $1.
One more tidbit, Obama has now joined with the POPE in tackling global climate change. Do we remember the fuss when John F. Kennedy ran. They were afraid that Kennedy, a Catholic, would cede the presidency to Rome; fifty years later Obama has done so.