In 2011, the nation’s three largest coal companies bet billions of dollars on future Chinese demand for steelmaking metallurgical coal, a primarily from Appalachia. When Chinese demand fell, so did the Appalachian coal export market.
In 2011, the nation’s three largest coal companies bet billions of dollars on future Chinese demand for steelmaking metallurgical coal, a primarily from Appalachia. When Chinese demand fell, so did the Appalachian coal export market.
By Brian Sewell Recently, coal exports have provided operators in Appalachia with a crucial buffer against the market-driven forces that are shaping the energy landscape across the United States. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, between 2009 and 2011,…