US coal industry, 1970--1990: Two decades of change.

摘要

The purpose of this report, is to provide a comprehensive overview of the US coal industry over the past two decades, with emphasis on the major changes that occurred, their causes, and their effects. The report presents and analyzes data compiled by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on the US coal industry, as well as EIA data on other energy sources and information from non-EIA sources where relevant. These data are used to reveal trends in coal production, consumption, distribution, and prices. Trends in coal mining productivity and employment are also examined, and the profitability of major energy companies' coal operations is tracked over the 1977 through 1990 period. Analysis of the data indicates the impacts on the coal industry of major events such as the oil embargo, technological breakthroughs, and Federal and State laws and regulations affecting the industry.