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Electricity Monthly Update

With Data for September 2022 Release Date: November 23, 2022 Next Release Date: December 22, 2022

Electric Power Sector Coal Stocks: September 2022


Total U.S. coal stockpiles had a month-over-month increase of 5.1%, reaching 80 million tons in September 2022. This increase in total U.S. coal stockpiles follows the normal seasonal pattern whereby coal power plants start to increase their stockpiles as the country goes into the autumn months. However, as in previous months, total U.S. coal stockpiles remain at a relatively low historical level.

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 from the previous month, going from 96 days of forward-looking days of burn in August 2022 to 110 days of burn in September 2022. For subbituminous units largely located in the western United States, the average number of days of burn also increased, going from 81 days of burn in August 2022 to 95 days of burn in September 2022.

Coal stocks and average number of days of burn for non-lignite coal by region (electric power sector)

    September 2022 September 2021   August 2022  
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 1,925 365 1,879 285 2.4% 1,555 365 23.8%
  Subbituminous . . . . . . . .
South Bituminous 12,480 108 10,671 81 17.0% 11,197 88 11.5%
  Subbituminous 3,584 63 2,824 44 26.9% 3,310 47 8.3%
Midwest Bituminous 7,247 87 5,670 56 27.8% 6,528 76 11.0%
  Subbituminous 17,096 111 18,426 103 -7.2% 14,452 96 18.3%
West Bituminous 3,029 163 1,916 96 58.1% 3,186 165 -4.9%
  Subbituminous 14,939 90 15,287 75 -2.3% 14,614 79 2.2%
U.S. Total Bituminous 24,681 110 20,136 78 22.6% 22,465 96 9.9%
  Subbituminous 35,619 95 36,537 83 -2.5% 32,375 81 10.0%

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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