There is a belief in coal country that a few regulatory tweaks can revitalize the industry in the US. But among executives and advisors in the space, there’s an also acknowledgement that a friendlier regime in Washington alone will not turn around the fortunes of American coal.
Coal production in the US fell to 739 million short tons in 2016, its lowest level since 1978, according to the US Energy Information Administration. The agency projects an uptick — particularly for western coal — in 2017 and 2018 because of an expected climb in natural gas prices.
