How Is Coal Used To Create Energy

Coal is primarily used as fuel to generate electric power in the United States. In coal-fired power plants, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, or lignite is burned. The heat produced by the combustion of the coal is used to convert water into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine, which produces electricity. In 2019, about 23 percent of all electricity in the United States was generated by coal-fired power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Certain types of bituminous coal can also be used in making steel. Coal used for steel making needs to be high in carbon content and low in moisture, ash, sulfur, and phosphorous content. Coal that meets these specifications is known as metallurgical coal. Coal also has a myriad of other uses, including in cement production, carbon fibers and foams, medicines, tars, synthetic petroleum-based fuels, and home and commercial heating.

Learn more:

Coal – A Complex Natural Resource
U.S. Coal Resources and Reserves Assessment

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What is the biggest coal deposit in the United States?

The biggest coal deposit by volume is the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana, which the USGS estimated to have 1.07 trillion short tons of in-place coal resources, 162 billion short tons of recoverable coal resources, and 25 billion short tons of economic coal resources (also called reserves) in 2013. The coal in the Powder River Basin is...

Which country has the most coal?

As of January 2020, the United States has the largest recoverable coal reserves with an estimated 252 billion short tons of coal remaining, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration . Learn more: U.S. Coal Resources and Assessment World Coal Quality Inventory

Image: Pliocene Lignite Coal from BEN Village

What are the types of coal?

There are four major types (or "ranks") of coal. Rank refers to steps in a slow, natural process called "coalification," during which buried plant matter changes into an ever denser, drier, more carbon-rich, and harder material. The four ranks are: Anthracite : The highest rank of coal. It is a hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often...

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What is coal?

Coal is a sedimentary deposit composed predominantly of carbon that is readily combustible. Coal is black or brownish-black, and has a composition that (including inherent moisture) consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted,...

Image shows four men in visibility gear and hard hats at a coal mine

Date published: May 8, 2001

Coalbed Methane Development and Impacts to be Discussed at USGS Field Conference

Federal, state and local policy makers will gather in Casper, Wyoming, on May 9-10 to examine science issues associated with the development of coalbed methane. The two-day conference and field trip, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will examine a number of topics including: what is coalbed methane, how it forms, where it occurs, how it is developed, and consequences of development.

Cannel Coal at the USGS National Center

Cannel coal used to be popular as a fireplace coal because it had little smoke and thus had less Koffing and Weezing present... Image Credit: Alex Demas, USGS.

Peacock Coal

This sample is of peacock coal. Peacock coal is not a specific class of coal, but rather the name for an effect in which oxidizing materials in the coal create a dazzling array of colors on the surface of the coal. Usually it is short-lived, as the material fully oxidizes away shortly after exposed to air. Read more about our coal research here:

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Bituminous Coal

This sample is of bituminous coal, a middle rank coal (between subbituminous and anthracite) formed by additional pressure and heat on lignite. Usually has a high Btu value and may be referred to as "soft coal." Read more about USGS coal research here:

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Cannel Coal

Cannel coal is a type of bituminous coal that is also sometimes referred to as a type of oil shale. It's name likely came from the word "candle." Cannel coal was once used as a source for kerosene. Read more about our coal research here:

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Anthracite Coal

This is anthracite, the highest rank of coal. It is a hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal, often referred to as hard coal, containing a high percentage of fixed carbon and a low percentage of volatile matter. Anthracite is not as commonly mined as other ranks of coal. It played a significant role in Pennsylvania coal during the Industrial Revolution in the United

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