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Coal Demand, Market Forces, and US Coal Mine Closures

Author

Listed:
  • Brett Jordan

    (University of Alaska Anchorage)

  • Ian Lange

    (Division of Economics and Business, Colorado School of Mines)

  • Johsua Linn

    (University of Maryland and Resources for the Future)

Abstract

Economic transitions have the potential to displace workers and cause social unrest. Coal mine closures in the eastern United States due to the changing electricity system and the resulting employment losses in rural areas have become salient issues for all levels of government. Previous research has not distinguished among the potential causes of recent mine closures, such as rising production costs and decreasing coal demand from the electricity sector. This analysis utilizes unique data on coal mine and power plant operation to estimate the impact of supply and demand factors on mine closure. We model closure as a function of expected profits, which allows us to compare the effects on mine closure of specific demand and supply shocks to expected mine profits. Our results suggest that each shock substantially affected coal mine employment. Increasing costs of producing Appalachian coal have had the largest impact on closures with lower natural gas prices and lower electricity demand each accounting for a substantial number of closures additionally.

Suggested Citation

  • Brett Jordan & Ian Lange & Johsua Linn, 2018. "Coal Demand, Market Forces, and US Coal Mine Closures," Working Papers 2018-01, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Economics and Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:mns:wpaper:wp201801
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    File URL: http://econbus-papers.mines.edu/working-papers/wp201801.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Michieka, Nyakundi M. & Graziano, Marcello & Musso, Marta & Fouquet, Roger, 2022. "Energy transitions and labor market patterns in the U.S. coal industry," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 501-514.
    2. Ebba Mark & Ryan Rafaty & Moritz Schwarz, 2022. "Spatial-temporal dynamics of employment shocks in declining coal mining regions and potentialities of the 'just transition'," Papers 2211.12619, arXiv.org.
    3. Kacker, Kanishka & Lange, Ian, 2022. "Inter-regional coal mine competition in the US: Evidence from rail restrictions," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Hauenstein, Christian & Holz, Franziska, 2021. "The U.S. coal sector between shale gas and renewables: Last resort coal exports?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    5. Sabina Kordana-Obuch & Mariusz Starzec, 2023. "Experimental Development of the Horizontal Drain Water Heat Recovery Unit," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-24, June.
    6. Rivera, Nathaly M. & Loveridge, Scott, 2022. "Coal-to-gas fuel switching and its effects on housing prices," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Coal Mining; Firm Exit; Fuel Procurement;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L71 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Primary Products and Construction - - - Mining, Extraction, and Refining: Hydrocarbon Fuels
    • Q35 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Hydrocarbon Resources
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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