Kentucky fell to the nation’s No. 7 coal producer in 2024, according to the federal government’s annual coal report.
Kentucky produced 24.3 million tons last year, down 14% from 2023.
Wyoming and West Virginia continued to rank first and second, with Pennsylvania, Illinois and Montana rounding out the top five. Kentucky now ranks below North Dakota and ahead of Indiana.
The number of Kentucky mines fell to 94 last year from 112 in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Through most of the 1970s and 1980s, Kentucky ranked first in coal production.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet reported fewer than 3,800 coal miners working statewide in the second quarter of this year, the lowest number on record.
Production last year fell more in the east than it did in the west, but it fell by double digits in both regions. Kentucky's western region still produces more coal than the east, but the east still has more workers.
Despite the decline in coal production in Kentucky, the state remains heavily dependent on coal to generate electricity. In 2024, 67% of the state's electricity was generated by coal.
Only West Virginia used more coal to produce electricity last year.
