US Coal Stockpiles Hit Record Low
US Coal Stockpiles Hit Record Low

By Nathan Worcester

U.S. coal stockpiles dipped to just 80 million tons in September, the lowest monthly total since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began tracking such information in 2001.

U.S. coal stocks fell 4.8 percent over the course of the previous month, according to the EIA.

The record-breaking low came as a national and global energy crunch has driven up the cost of coal, natural gas, and oil, with Chinese buyers willing to purchase coal at “any price,” as reported by Al Jazeera.

In recent years, the percentage of electric power generated by coal in the United States has rapidly declined, an outcome some commentators have attributed to actions by the Obama administration, such as the 2015 Clean Power Plan.

Others have claimed that cheaper natural gas was the primary reason for coal’s downfall.

During its first few months, the Biden administration shut down the Keystone XL pipeline and halted oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters.

President Joe Biden’s climate czar, John Kerry, told Bloomberg in November that the United States “won’t have coal” by 2030.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, the president of the free-market Heartland Institute, James Taylor, voiced his concerns about dwindling U.S. coal stockpiles.

“President Barack Obama vowed to bankrupt the coal industry, then launched a war on coal that decimated the coal industry,” Taylor said. “After a welcome reprieve under the Trump administration, Joe Biden has picked up where Obama left off.

“The predictable result is that coal mines have shut down, supplies are low, and we are much more vulnerable to the type of polar vortex event that decimated Texas last year. You can’t wage war on coal and not expect coal supplies to plummet,” Taylor told The Epoch Times.

The Rocky Mountain Institute, a think tank focused on renewable energy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

The Epoch Times also reached out to 350.org’s “Fossil Free” campaign, which aims to end fossil fuel use entirely. Fossil Free did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Marc Morano, who runs the website Climate Depot, told The Epoch Times: “Record low US coal stockpiles are just another indication of the death of American energy at the hands of the Biden administration. Killing pipelines, stopping drilling, going after fracking, and record low coal supplies, all mean ‘success’ for Biden’s climate policy.”

“The real issue is going to be energy prices and shortages this winter in the U.S., Europe, and around the world. Restricting energy supplies is bonkers if you care about human health and welfare,” Morano added.

“When Americans are facing blackouts and brownouts this winter, all while paying much higher energy prices, they will be able to console themselves with the claim that the U.S. is now a leader in ‘fighting climate change.’ Sadly, the climate will not notice one bit, but Americans sure will.”

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