ABSTRACT
Coal production in the United States increased from its inception in the eighteenth century until the 1920s. World War II energy demands resulted in a brief rise in output, but absolute and comparative attrition in coal production continued until the early 1960s. A rapid and massive return to coal is frequently promoted as a feasible solution to the national energy shortage. Sulfur is an undesirable component of coal. It lowers the quality of coke as a reduction agent in the production of steel, and it enhances corrosion, air pollution, and boiler deposits. Appalachian bituminous coals are usually characterized by high energy content and are in demand for heating and power production in the industrialized, urban, northeastern states. Midcontinent coals generally contain less energy than Appalachian coals and almost all of the Midcontinent output is used for steam production. Large quantities of Western coals are already supplying producers of steam in the Middle West and South-Central states.
