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Coal explained Where our coal comes from

Where the United States gets its coal

In 2022, about 594 million short tons of coal were produced in 21 U.S. states. Surface mines were the source of 63% of total U.S. coal production and accounted for 65% of the total number of producing mines. About 0.5 million short tons, or less than 0.1% of total coal production, was refuse recovery coal. Five states accounted for 73% of total U.S. coal production in 2022.

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  • The top five coal-producing states and their percentage shares of total U.S. coal production in 2022 were:1
  • Wyoming41%
  • West Virginia14%
  • Pennsylvania7%
  • Illinois6%
  • Kentucky5%

Coal is mainly found in three regions: the Appalachian coal region, the Interior coal region, and the Western coal region (includes the Powder River Basin).

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The two largest coal mines in the United States are the Black Thunder and North Antelope Rochelle mines in Wyoming. Together, the two mines accounted for 21% of total U.S. coal production in 2022. The largest producing mine, Black Thunder, produced nearly the same amount of coal in 2022 as the states of Illinois and Kentucky combined, the fourth- and fifth-largest coal-producing states.

Map of the United States showing Coal Production by Coal Producing Region, 2021 (million short tons). Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report, October 2022

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Facts and data for each coal-producing region for 20221

Appalachian coal region

  • The Appalachian coal region includes Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
  • About 27% of the coal produced in the United States came from the Appalachian coal region.
  • West Virginia is the top coal-producing state in the region and the second-highest coal-producing state in the United States.
  • Underground mines supplied 80% of the coal produced in the Appalachian region.
  • Underground mines in the Appalachian region accounted for 58% of U.S. total underground coal mine production.

Interior coal region

  • The Interior coal region includes Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Western Kentucky.
  • About 17% of total U.S. coal was mined in the Interior coal region.
  • Illinois was the top coal producer in the Interior coal region, accounting for 38% of the region's coal production and about 6% of total U.S. coal production.
  • Underground mines supplied 68% of the region's coal production, and surface mines supplied 32%.

Western coal region

  • The Western coal region includes Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
  • About 56% of total U.S. coal production was mined in the Western coal region.
  • Wyoming, the top coal-producing state in the United States, produced 41% of total U.S. coal production and 73% of the coal mined in the Western coal region.
  • Seven of the top ten U.S. coal-producing mines were in Wyoming, and all of those mines are surface mines.
  • Surface mines produced 92% of the coal in the Western coal region.
1 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Annual Coal Report, October 2023.

Last updated: December 22, 2023, with data from Annual Coal Report.