By Jeff Kotula

August 2, 2024 - Coal has been a driver of Washington County, Pennsylvania's economy since its discovery here in the early 1800s, with commercial mining operations first starting in the 1820s in the community of Coal Center.

The coal from Washington County provided the Union with needed energy resources to secure victory during the Civil War and then went on to foster our economic expansion by fueling the Industrial Revolution, generating power, and creating opportunities for generations of local people and their families, including mine – my family tree includes three generations of coal miners in Washington County.

It is important that we understand the history of the coal industry and acknowledge its ongoing significance to our county, state, and domestic economies. While the coal industry’s overall impact may not register, a recent study on the industry brings the importance of coal as a foundational resource for our economy to the surface.

The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting local coal-mining companies and their employees, released a study, “The Economic Impact of the Coal Mining Industry in Pennsylvania,” in June. Using 2022 as a baseline, the study found that Pennsylvania mines produced about 8 million tons of anthracite coal and 40 million tons of bituminous coal. The study highlights bituminous coal as the leading export, accounting for 6.8% of Pennsylvania’s total exports at $2.6 billion.

In addition, the study found that 58% of all bituminous coal produced in Pennsylvania went to produce electricity, making our state the third largest producer of electricity in the country after Texas and Florida.

More impressive were the study’s findings on the positive economic impacts of coal in our state. The report emphasizes that the industry is responsible for about 11,550 full- and part-time jobs, with more than 5,100 of these jobs directly in the coal-mining industry. It also found that coal is a $3.8 billion enterprise (total output) in our state, which includes the $2.2 billion directly spent on labor, production operations, and goods and services with affiliated suppliers. In terms of labor income, coal accounts for more than $800 million in employee compensation statewide.

The study also reported that coal continues to serve as an economic driver for Washington and Greene counties. It found that in these two counties alone, coal mining is accountable for approximately 4,050 full and part-time jobs, with more than 2,300 of these directly in the industry. Locally, coal mining is a $1.7 billion industry, with more than $1.3 billion in total spending. It contributes over $1 billion in total value added to the regional economy, which includes $404 million in employee compensation in these two counties alone.

This important study demonstrates the major contributions the coal industry continues to make in our state and recognizes the businesses and families that still depend on this resource for their livelihoods. And in Washington County when we state, “the power to prosper is right under our feet,” we acknowledge the foundational history of coal in our growth and the industry’s continued importance as a resource for the future. –

Jeff Kotula is the president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.