The Annual Coal Report (ACR) provides annual data on U.S. coal production, number of mines, productive capacity, recoverable reserves, employment, productivity, consumption, stocks, and prices. All data for 2023 and previous years are final.

Highlights for 2023

• U.S. coal production decreased 2.7% year over year to 577.9 million short tons (MMst). The number of producing coal mines increased from 548 to 560 mines.
• The total productive capacity of U.S. coal mines was 847 MMst, a decrease of 2.8% from 2022.
• The average number of employees at U.S. coal mines increased by 1,894 from 2022 to 45,476 employees.
• U.S. coal mining productivity, as measured by average production per employee hour, decreased 7.4% from 2022 to 5.66 short tons per employee hour.
• U.S. coal consumption decreased 17.4% from 515.5 MMst in 2022 to 425.9 MMst. The electric power sector accounted for 387.2 MMst (90.9%) of the total U.S. coal consumed in 2023.
• The average sales price of bituminous coal was $96.23 per short ton, a 1.8% decrease from 2022. The average sales price of subbituminous coal was $17.56 per short ton, a 6.1% increase from 2022. The average sales price of thermal coal increased by 8.8% from 2022 to $37.60 per short ton. The average sales price of metallurgical coal decreased 19.2% from 2022 to $212.30 per short ton.
• Total U.S. coal stocks in 2023 ended the year at 163.2 MMst, 42.7% higher than at the same time in 2022. Electric power coal stocks increased by 44.5 MMst to 133.7 MMst at the end of 2023.