Electric Power Sector Coal Stocks: November 2015

 

In November, U.S. coal stockpiles increased to 189 million tons, up 7% from the previous month. This increase in October-to-November coal stockpiles follows the normal seasonal pattern whereby coal stockpiles get built up during the fall months. Coal stockpiles are still at relatively high levels due to a loss in market share to natural gas in all 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 increased from 87 days of burn in October to 88 days of forward-looking days of burn in November. For subbituminous units largely located in the western United States, the average number of days of burn increased, going from 80 days in October to 85 days in November. The percentage of bituminous and subbituminous coal-fired capacity having less than 30 days of burn decreased slightly from 5.5% in October to 4.7% in November.

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

		November 2015			November 2014			October 2015
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	8,032	89		7,072	81	13.6%	7,509	95	7.0%
	Subbituminous	708	147		427	83	65.8%	731	174	-3.2%
South	Bituminous	37,314	92		33,814	84	10.3%	35,209	90	6.0%
	Subbituminous	7,584	84		5,497	60	38.0%	6,942	76	9.2%
Midwest	Bituminous	17,607	83		13,715	65	28.4%	16,361	82	7.6%
	Subbituminous	45,384	74		29,923	47	51.7%	41,636	71	9.0%
West	Bituminous	5,789	78		4,639	60	24.8%	5,628	75	2.9%
	Subbituminous	38,774	103		22,271	56	74.1%	34,805	94	11.4%
U.S. Total	Bituminous	68,742	88		59,241	76	16.0%	64,708	87	6.2%
	Subbituminous	92,450	85		58,117	52	59.1%	84,115	80	9.9%

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.