The Annual Coal Distribution Report (ACDR) provides detailed information on U.S. domestic coal distribution by origin state, destination state, consumer category, and method of transportation. Also provided is a summary of foreign coal distribution by coal-producing state. All data for 2016 are final and this report supersedes the 2016 quarterly coal distribution reports.
Highlights for 2016:
- Total coal distributions for 2016 were 736.6 million short tons, a decrease of 17.2% compared with 2015.
- Distributions to domestic destinations were 676.3 million short tons, a decrease of 139.2 million short tons (i.e. 17.1% decrease) compared with 2015. Distributions to foreign destinations were 60.3 million short tons, a decrease of 13.7 million short tons (i.e. 18.5% decreases) over 2015.
- Wyoming was the leading origin state of coal, accounting for about 297.9 million short tons of domestic shipments, while Texas was the leading destination for coal, accounting for about 80.6 million short tons of receipts.
- Railroads moved about 66.3% of the domestic coal, while river barge accounted for 12.9%, truck about 10.4% and tramway, conveyor, and slurry pipeline accounted for 10.5%. Great lakes and tidewater pier transport modes accounted for less than 0.1% of the total shipments.
- • The electric power sector received approximately 92.6% of the domestic distribution, while industrial plants excluding coke received 5.0%, coke plants about 2.2%, and commercial and institutional plants about 0.2%.