Coal production during the week ending March 10 was below the five-year range and 10% lower than the week ending March 12, 2011, according to weekly preliminary estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the latest quarterly production data from Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
Warm weather this winter along with high stockpile levels and strong competition from natural gas depressed demand for coal by U.S. electric generators, which accounted for over 93% of total domestic coal use in the first nine months of 2011.
