Electricity Monthly Update
Electric Power Sector Coal Stocks: February 2024
Total U.S. coal stockpiles increased by 4.4% to 127 million tons compared with the previous month. Usually in the winter months, U.S. coal stockpiles decrease as coal power plants increase operations to meet winter electricity demand. However, February 2024 was an abnormally warm winter month whereby electricity generation from coal was not needed as much as in previous years and thus, coal stockpiles saw an increase from the previous month.
Days of burn
The average number of days of burn held at electric power plants is a forward-looking estimate of coal supply given a power plant's current stockpile and past consumption patterns. For bituminous units largely located in the eastern United States, the average number of days of burn increased slightly from the previous month, going from 148 days of forward-looking days of burn in January 2024 to 149 days of burn in February 2024. For subbituminous units largely located in the western United States, the average number of days of burn decreased, going from 156 days of burn in January 2024 to 152 days of burn in February 2024.
Coal stocks and average number of days of burn for non-lignite coal by region (electric power sector)
| February 2024 | February 2023 | January 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Zone | Coal | Stocks (1000 tons) | Days of Burn | Stocks (1000 tons) | Days of Burn | % Change of Stocks | Stocks (1000 tons) | Days of Burn | % Change of Stocks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northeast | Bituminous | 2,014 | 285 | 2,891 | 365 | -30.3% | 2,099 | 205 | -4.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subbituminous | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South | Bituminous | 20,069 | 144 | 19,605 | 140 | 2.4% | 19,053 | 143 | 5.3% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subbituminous | 6,714 | 121 | 4,792 | 104 | 40.1% | 6,588 | 121 | 1.9% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Midwest | Bituminous | 11,780 | 143 | 9,643 | 117 | 22.2% | 11,243 | 140 | 4.8% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subbituminous | 33,959 | 154 | 24,420 | 136 | 39.1% | 32,088 | 157 | 5.8% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West | Bituminous | 2,991 | 187 | 2,316 | 152 | 29.2% | 2,769 | 185 | 8.0% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subbituminous | 31,671 | 159 | 21,111 | 127 | 50.0% | 30,634 | 162 | 3.4% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Total | Bituminous | 36,854 | 149 | 34,455 | 139 | 7.0% | 35,164 | 148 | 4.8% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subbituminous | 72,345 | 152 | 50,322 | 129 | 43.8% | 69,310 | 156 | 4.4% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration NOTE: Stockpile levels shown above reflect a sample of electric power sector plants, which were used to create the days of burn statistics. These levels will not equal total electric power sector stockpile levels. |
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