Coal production in North America 1999-2023
In 1999, North America's coal production volume came to 25.28 exajoules. By 2023 it decreased to 13.21 exajoules.
North America's role in global coal energy
Coal production has decreased in North America in recent years. In 2000, the continent as a whole produced 24.65 exajoules of coal and had reduced production by 46.4 percent by 2023. However, globally, there has been a significant increase in coal production, from 96.5 exajoules in 2000 to 179.24 exajoules in 2023. This global increase is largely due to the coal production and energy consumption in China. The country accounts for almost half of both the world’s production and consumption of this fossil fuel. China’s coal production has more than doubled, from 29.6 exajoules in 2000 to 96.1 exajoules in 2023.
North American coal consumption and environmental backlash
The consumption of coal in the United States decreased to 8.18 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2023. The United States consumed almost 18 quadrillion Btu of coal in 2014 and 2.47 quadrillion Btu from conventional hydroelectric energy. Coal companies face competition from the growing renewable energy industries and increasing demands for cleaner energy from consumers. In Canada, the province of Ontario had shut down all of its coal-generated plants as of April 2014, the first jurisdiction in North America to do so.
