Colorado’s mines produced 18.9 million short tons of coal in 2015, enough to rank 11th, sandwiched between New Mexico, which leaped ahead of Colorado into the top 10, and Ohio.
In 2014 Colorado ranked 10th among states at 24 million short tons of coal. In 2007, mines in the state produced 36.4 million short tons of coal.
The picture got even darker for Colorado coal last year, according to from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Those counts show production dropped to 12.8 million short tons, down 31.6 percent from the prior year.
Shrinking exports, and bankruptcies, the shuttering of coal-fired power plants and stricter environmental regulations all contributed to less demand for Colorado coal.
Another factor is the ability of Wyoming’s mines to produce coal at a much lower cost, which has helped it win utility customers in the state. Wyoming accounted for 42 percent of U.S. coal production in 2015, more than the next seven states combined.
The Trump administration has pledged to revive the nation’s coal industry and restore mining jobs, a message that , where slumping production has taken a heavy toll on the local economy.
