Celebrating American Coal

Happy Coal Week! Last year, Senate Republicans introduced a resolution to designate October 19-25 as Coal Week in celebration of how the coal industry and our coal mining communities have shaped America. This past week has been a valuable opportunity to look back on coal’s proud heritage but to also keep an eye on the future and coal’s critical role in providing the energy, manufacturing inputs and jobs that keep America running.   

It is difficult to imagine America’s rise without the coal that powered industrial development. Throughout the 1800s, coal fueled the steam engines, factories, railways and ships that transformed how Americans worked, produced goods and traveled. These advances helped lay the foundation for the nation’s industrial strength, connecting coal mining communities to economic changes that reached far beyond the mine.

Coal also helped modernize our nation’s military. The Navy’s transition from sail to steam-power strengthened its operational capabilities and supported advancing American interests and values abroad. It was also coal that provided the irreplaceable energy and steel that propelled the arsenal of Democracy and helped the U.S. and our allies win two world wars. That same energy and steel helped build the infrastructure that remains the backbone of America’s cities and transportation networks.  

Today, coal continues to provide Americans with energy, opportunity and jobs. Coal supplies 17% of U.S. electricity and accounts for 85% of the nation’s fossil fuel energy reserves.

Coal mining also provides 95,000 direct jobs and 211,000 indirect jobs. And these are family-supporting jobs. The average annual salary for a coal miner is nearly $103,000, well above the U.S. average wage of $72,000.

Coal’s role in electricity affordability and reliability also deserves recognition. When natural gas prices climbed in 2025, coal generation responded serving as a price shock absorber, shielding consumers from spiking gas prices. Americans saved an estimated $30-$40 billion in otherwise higher energy costs.

As electricity demand soars and price volatility batters global energy markets, the fuel optionality underpinned by the coal fleet is only becoming increasingly valuable.

Our vast coal resources also connect the U.S. to markets across the globe. U.S. coal exports are vital to our trade partners and are an economic engine here at home. The U.S. exports coal to 71 countries, producing $10 billion in revenue in 2025.

As we reflect on coal’s contributions, it is important to celebrate the communities that have made coal production possible for over two centuries. The history of American coal is a history of millions of people transforming America into a global superpower and continually raising the standard of living for us all. If coal has been the fuel of prosperity, they have been the engine. Coal week is a timely reminder to thank the American miners, families and communities who have made it all possible.