Electric Power Sector Coal Stocks: April 2016

 

In April, U.S. coal stockpiles increased to 196 million tons, up 1% from the previous month. As a whole, U.S. coal stockpiles are at very high levels due to the mild winter experienced earlier in the year and also becaue coal continues to lose market share to natural gas in most regions of the country.

Days of burn

The average number of days of burn held at electric power plants is a forward-looking estimate of coal supply given a power plant's current stockpile and past consumption patterns. For bituminous units largely located in the eastern United States, the average number of days of burn decreased from 97 days of burn in March to 91 days of forward-looking days of burn in April. For subbituminous units largely located in the western United States, the average number of days of burn decreased, going from 102 days in March to 93 days in April.

Coal stocks and average number of days of burn for non-lignite coal by region (electric power sector)

		April 2016			April 2015			March 2016
Zone	Coal	Stocks (1000 tons)	Days of Burn		Stocks (1000 tons)	Days of Burn	% Change of Stocks	Stocks (1000 tons)	Days of Burn	% Change of Stocks
Northeast	Bituminous	7,641	117		6,061	81	26.1%	7,165	111	6.7%
	Subbituminous	171	184		799	262	-78.6%	171	208	0.0%
South	Bituminous	37,654	89		33,819	76	11.3%	36,811	97	2.3%
	Subbituminous	7,838	86		6,927	79	13.1%	7,951	95	-1.4%
Midwest	Bituminous	18,365	95		14,820	74	23.9%	18,005	100	2.0%
	Subbituminous	46,805	86		38,488	70	21.6%	46,914	94	-0.2%
West	Bituminous	5,587	76		5,341	72	4.6%	4,907	76	13.9%
	Subbituminous	41,393	103		34,743	86	19.1%	42,090	114	-1.7%
U.S. Total	Bituminous	69,247	91		60,041	76	15.3%	66,888	97	3.5%
	Subbituminous	96,207	93		80,957	77	18.8%	97,126	102	-0.9%

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

NOTE: Stockpile levels shown above reflect a sample of electric power sector plants, which were used to create the days of burn statistics. These levels will not equal total electric power sector stockpile levels.