CNN reports that yet another coal miner has died. Expect every death in a coal mine to be covered on national news ever since the big accident last week. This issue begs the question, which states do you think still use coal as a major part of their energy supply? Lets take a look at the top 20 coal-burning states.



Coal is simply the worst possible fuel to use to generate electricity as its byproducts include mercury, sulfuric acid (leading to acid rain), Nitric acid, carbon dioxide and monoxide, arsenic, and heavy metals like lead. More than one-half of electricity in the United States comes from combustion of coal, a 19th century fuel, however, much of it is burned in Red states for power in Blue states. Of the top coal burning states for total tonnage of coal burned Texas is first at 101,103 tons of coal per year, followed by Ohio and Indiana. Compare that to California, the most populous state, at 889 tons per year, or Wyoming, the least populated state at 25,861 tons per year. Of the ten states that burn the least amount of coal, only two are Red states, Idaho and Alaska.

Source: Source Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, U.S. Coal Consumption by End Use Sector, by Census Division and State, 2002. www.eia.doe.gov