March 19, 2026 - Below is a message from Chris Hamilton, President, West Virginia Coal Association:

Here for your review and use is the recent economic profile of West Virginia's coal industry and coal fired utilities conducted by West Virginia University's Bureau of Business and Economic Research and Dr. John Deskins, who is generally regarded as the state's leading economist.

Here are the key results of the new economic study which processed 2024 data:

Key Findings:

According to the BBER analysis, commissioned by the West Virginia Coal Association, coal remains a cornerstone of West Virginia’s economy despite long?term shifts in national energy markets.

• Total coal mining impact: Coal mining alone supported an estimated $16.4 billion in total economic activity, 30,600 jobs, and $3.1 billion in employee compensation in 2024, while generating about $1 billion in state and local tax revenue.

• Coal-fired power generation impact: Coal-fired power plants supported nearly $4.6 billion in total economic activity, 5,649 jobs, and $615.2 million in employee compensation, along with $315.1 million in state and local tax revenue.

• Direct vs. ripple effects: The study estimates direct output from coal mining and coal-fired generation at $15.5 billion, with an additional $5.5 billion in indirect and induced impacts as mines, plants, suppliers and workers re-spend dollars throughout the state’s economy.

The BBER reports that coal miners continue to earn substantially higher wages than the state average, with average annual pay of about $112,800 in 2024 – nearly twice the average wage for all private industries in West Virginia. While coal mining accounts for roughly 2.5 percent of all private-sector jobs, it generates 4.8 percent of total private-sector earnings in the state.

Coal’s Role in Energy and Exports:

The study notes that West Virginia remains the nation’s second-largest coal producer, accounting for 15.5 percent of total U.S. coal production in 2024, up from 13.3 percent in 2004. Although total tonnage has declined over the past two decades, production in West Virginia has held up better than in the rest of the country and has increased since 2020.

Coal-fired power plants located in eight counties – Grant, Harrison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Monongalia, Pleasants and Putnam – generated more than 43 million megawatt hours of electricity in 2024, providing high-wage jobs and significant local tax bases in those communities. At the same time, about 53 percent of West Virginia coal production in 2024 was sold into export markets, with major destinations including India, China, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

Dr. Deskins will present this study at our upcoming Annual Mining Symposium.  For more information or questions, please call 304-342-4153.