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Coal stockpiles at U.S. electrical energy vegetation totaled 138 million quick tons on the finish of Might, probably the most for the reason that first half of 2020 when the results of the COVID-19 pandemic diminished electrical energy demand and coal consumption.
In the US, coal is usually consumed by energy vegetation following the seasonal sample of electrical energy technology; most coal consumption happens throughout the summer season and winter. As a result of energy vegetation eat extra coal throughout the heat summer season months, energy vegetation sometimes start rising their coal shares within the spring as plant operators put together.
U.S. coal energy vegetation usually stockpile far more coal than they eat in a month, with greater than 90% of coal-fired energy vegetation at the moment having sufficient coal available to generate electrical energy for 60 days or extra. We estimate days of burn because the variety of days a pattern of coal vegetation can generate electrical energy utilizing their present stockpiles. Coal plant operators preserve further coal available as a result of bodily supply constraints within the provide chain restrict how rapidly coal vegetation can improve their stockpiles.
As coal-fired electrical energy technology has declined in the US during the last decade, coal plant stockpiles have additionally usually declined. Coal consumption by the electrical energy sector totaled 385 million tons in 2023, 43% lower than in 2016. Coal stockpiles reached 131 million tons by the top of 2023, 19% lower than stockpiles on the finish of 2016.
Our Kind EIA-923 detailed information incorporates extra details about coal stockpiles at energy vegetation, and our Electrical energy Month-to-month Replace publication has details about days of burn at coal energy vegetation.
Principal contributor: Chris Cassar. Initially revealed on As we speak in Power.