Places that are Fueling America’s Coal Addiction the most

By Sam Stebbins  •  May 28, 2026
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Second only to transportation, electric power is one of the heaviest polluting sectors in the United States. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, electric power generation accounted for 25% of the more than 6.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions nationwide in 2022 – and the bulk of harmful power plant emissions come from coal burning plants.

Generating twice the amount of carbon emissions as natural gas to produce the same amount of electricity, coal is by far the dirtiest, widely used energy source in the United States. While new natural gas extraction methods and technological advances in clean energy sources – such as wind, solar, and nuclear – have reduced American reliance on coal in recent decades, coal still accounts for a substantial share of the U.S. power grid.

Since peaking in 2007, the electric power sector’s use of coal has fallen by more than 50%. As recently as 2003, over half of all electricity production in the U.S. came from coal burning plants. As of 2022, coal accounted for only about 20% of American electricity production. Despite the meaningful reduction, coal plants still produced 55% of the electric power sector’s carbon emissions in 2022.

Given the detrimental impact of coal burning plants, in conjunction with the growing viability of cleaner alternatives, eliminating coal from the power grid appears to be an achievable means of meaningfully reducing America’s carbon footprint. Still, the abundance of coal in certain parts of the United States has put coal mining at the economic and cultural center of many communities for generations. While reduced reliance on coal has harmed many of these places, dozens of counties in resource-rich states still produce millions of tons of coal each year.

Using data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Climate Crisis 247 identified the U.S. counties that are fueling America’s coal addiction. We reviewed coal extraction data for over 100 U.S. counties and county equivalents and ranked them on coal production in 2023. Only the counties that produced approximately 7 million short tons of coal or more in 2023 were included on this list.

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Photo by Zhen Yao on Unsplash

10. Washington County, Pennsylvania

  • County coal production in 2023: 8.7 million short tons (1.5% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 42.6 million short tons (20.3% from Washington County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 1 (0.2% of U.S. coal mines)

9. Logan County, West Virginia

  • County coal production in 2023: 9.1 million short tons (1.6% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 84.6 million short tons (10.7% from Logan County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 30 (5.4% of U.S. coal mines)

8. Limestone County, Texas

  • County coal production in 2023: 9.6 million short tons (1.7% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 13.8 million short tons (69.1% from Limestone County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 1 (0.2% of U.S. coal mines)

7. Union County, Kentucky

  • County coal production in 2023: 9.8 million short tons (1.7% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 28.3 million short tons (34.7% from Union County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 2 (0.4% of U.S. coal mines)

6. Mercer County, North Dakota

  • County coal production in 2023: 13.5 million short tons (2.3% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 24.1 million short tons (56.2% from Mercer County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 2 (0.4% of U.S. coal mines)

5. Marshall County, West Virginia

  • County coal production in 2023: 13.9 million short tons (2.4% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 84.6 million short tons (16.4% from Marshall County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 2 (0.4% of U.S. coal mines)

4. Big Horn County, Montana

  • County coal production in 2023: 14.5 million short tons (2.5% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 29.1 million short tons (49.8% from Big Horn County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 2 (0.4% of U.S. coal mines)

3. Converse County, Wyoming

  • County coal production in 2023: 19.3 million short tons (3.3% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 237.3 million short tons (8.1% from Converse County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 1 (0.2% of U.S. coal mines)

2. Greene County, Pennsylvania

  • County coal production in 2023: 23.3 million short tons (4.0% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 42.6 million short tons (54.7% from Greene County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 3 (0.5% of U.S. coal mines)

1. Campbell County, Wyoming

  • County coal production in 2023: 211.2 million short tons (36.5% of U.S. coal production)
  • Statewide coal production in 2023: 237.3 million short tons (89.0% from Campbell County)
  • Number of active coal mines in county, 2023: 11 (2.0% of U.S. coal mines)


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