What is Wyoming Coal Used For?

Coal use and electricity generation have become synonymous terms in the 1990s. Wyoming coal is used to generate electricity in 37 states. Each person in the U.S. uses 20 pounds of coal every day! Coal is by far the major source of the electricity; 8 out of 10 tons of U.S. coal is used to produce electricity. That's over half (56%) of the electricity generated in the U.S. A pound of coal supplies enough electricity to light ten 100-watt light bulbs for an hour.

Even if you live in a state where coal is not mined, you still use coal in some form every day. Coal is burned directly by industries and manufacturing plants making chemicals, paper, ceramics, and various metal products. Further, coal is an important source of coke for the steel industry. Coal by-products are used to make linoleum, medicines, detergents, perfumes, food flavorings, fungicides, insecticides, solvents, and wood preservatives.

Wyoming coal has assumed a steadily growing share of the nation's total electricity generation. Why?

Wyoming coal is cheaper than eastern coal and other fuels;
There are huge reserves of coal in Wyoming;
Wyoming's supply of coal is reliable; and
Wyoming's low-sulfur coal can be produced and used in compatibility with the nation's environmental objectives.

Now that you know why Wyoming coal is the preferred fuel, who is using Wyoming coal? In 1994, use of Wyoming coal was divided among the following areas:

96.7% Power Plants
2.5% Industrial Plants
0.6% Exports outside the U.S.
0.2% Residential/Commercial Use (for heat)

As you can see, nearly all the coal mined in Wyoming is used to generate electricity in power plants across the U.S. Wyoming coal is vital to our nation's electricity generation.