U.S. coal shipments increased slightly in 2022 as power plants replenished stockpiles

The amount of coal received by power plants in the United States has largely declined over the past decade as coal-fired electricity generation has fallen and many coal-fired power plants have closed. However, slightly more coal was shipped to U.S. power plants in 2022 than in 2021 even though coal-fired generation fell by nearly 8% in 2022. The 8-million-ton increase in coal shipments came as power plants replenished their coal stocks, which had been drawn down in 2021.