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Posted May 4, 2026

Coal distributions for non-electric power use decline in the South ›

U.S. coal destination region for non-electric power use

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Distribution Report and Quarterly Coal Distribution Report
Note: The 2025 data points are annualized using the four quarters of preliminary 2025 data from the Quarterly Coal Distribution Report. The Annual Coal Distribution Report provides detailed information about domestic coal distribution by, coal-origin state coal-destination state, consumer category, and method of transportation. It also summarizes foreign coal distribution by coal-producing state.

The volume of coal delivered in the United States for uses other than power generation—primarily, for manufacturing—decreased by about half in the last 15 years. Coal delivered for these purposes in the South decreased the most in percentage terms between 2010 and 2025, falling 75%, or 14.7 million short tons (MMst), according to our Annual Coal Distribution Report and Quarterly Coal Distribution Report. In 2010, the South received more than double the amount of coal received in the Northeast; by 2025 the two regions received about the same amount. Manufacturers’ increasing use of natural gas instead of coal and the closure of manufacturing plants using coal were major factors in this decline.

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