Ohio ranks 4th nationally in coal consumption, trailing only Texas, Indiana, and Illinois

Ohio ranks 4th nationally in industrial energy consumption

Ohio ranks 7th nationally in coal reserves

Ohio ranks 13th nationally in coal production

Approximately 90 percent of Ohio’s electricity is generated by coal, compared to 50 percent nationwide and 40 percent worldwide

Ohio is home to 26 major coal-based electricity generating plants

In 1980, the average miner produced 1.93 tons per hour – today, the number has risen to 7.10 tons per hour, largely through technological advancements

Coal is currently mined in 16 Ohio counties and has been mined in 32 total counties since mining began in the early 19th century

57 percent of mined Ohio coal is transported by trains, with the balance being trucked and barged

• U.S. Energy Information Agency


• Ohio Air Quality Development Authority


• Ohio Coal Development Office


• “Report on Ohio Mineral Industries,” Division of Geological Survey, Ohio Department of Natural Resources


• Ohio Coal Association


• World Coal Institute


• Peabody Energy

Production
Kentucky produced 107 million tons of coal in 2009, compared to the record production of 179.4 million tons set in 1990. Kentucky has been one of the top three coal producers in the United States for the last 50 years.

Employment
The Kentucky coal industry paid $1.437 billion in direct wages in 2009. According to state figures the industry directly employed 23,340 persons, indirectly providing 3 additional jobs for every miner employed.

Economy
The Kentucky coal industry brought approximately $5.3 billion (assuming an average $58 coal price) into Kentucky during 2009 through coal sales to customers in 25 other states and 4 foreign countries. Kentucky coal companies paid $270.34 million in coal severance taxes in Fiscal Year 2009-10.

Coal Markets
Electric power plants, located in 21 states, accounted for almost 94% of the Kentucky coal sold during 2009. The remainder was sold for industrial uses.

Approximately 73% of the coal produced in Kentucky is sold out-of-state each year.

There are 21 major coal-burning electric generating plants in Kentucky, and almost all (92.7%) of Kentucky’s electricity is generated from coal.

Environment
All surface-mined land today is reclaimed equal to or better than it was prior to mining.

Kentucky mining companies have received 25 national reclamation awards from 1986 thru 2005 for outstanding achievement in surface mining. Coal mining creates valuable lands such as wildlife habitats, gently rolling mountaintops, wetlands, and industrial sites where only steep, unproductive hillsides had once existed. Kentucky operators have paid over $1.052 billion into the Federal Abandoned Mine Land Fund since 1978 to reclaim abandoned coal mines. Nationwide, operators have paid over $9 billion into this fund. Until 2006, all contributions were not allocated from the fund, but the Surface Mine Act was amended to force distribution of all monies within 7 years.

Coal Resources
Kentucky has two distinct coal fields, one in Western Kentucky and one in Eastern Kentucky. Kentucky’s 86.3 billion tons of remaining coal resources represents 82% of the original resource.

Electricity
Average retail electricity costs in Kentucky were 6.03 cents/kilowatt-hour in 2009, the lowest in the United States.

Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky coal production has been increasing since 2003 as a result of greater demand for lower-cost, medium-sulfur coal suitable for power plants with emission control technology. This trend is expected to continue in the near term because of new mine openings in the region and anticipated improvements to coal-fired plants.