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. The report also provides a summary of foreign coal distribution by coal-producing state. All data for 2017 are final and this report supersedes the 2017 quarterly coal distribution reports.
Highlights for 2017
- Total coal distributions for 2017 were 767.7 million short tons, an increase of 4.2% from the 2016 level.
- Distributions to domestic destinations were 670.8 million short tons, a decrease of 5.6 million short tons (0.8%) compared with 2016. Distributions to foreign destinations were 97.0 million short tons, an increase of 36.7 million short tons (a 60.9%) more than the 2016 level.
- Wyoming was the leading origin state of coal, accounting for about 317.4 million short tons of domestic shipments, and Texas was the leading destination for coal, accounting for about 88.7 million short tons of receipts.
- Railroads moved about 68.6% of the domestic coal; river barges accounted for 12.1%, trucks about 9.3%; and tramway, conveyor, and slurry pipeline accounted for 10.0%. Great lakes and tidewater pier transport modes accounted for less than 0.1% of the total shipments.
- The electric power sector received approximately 92.5% of the domestic distribution, and industrial plants excluding coke received 4.9%, coke plants about 2.5%, and commercial and institutional plants about 0.2%.