Proved coal reserves in the U.S. by type 2010-2020

The United States' coal proved reserves amounted to roughly 249 billion metric tons in 2020. During the period in consideration, anthracite and bituminous reserves were greater than sub-bituminous and lignite reserves. As of 2020, the U.S.'s anthracite and bituminous reserves accounted for around 88 percent from the country's total coal reserves.

Coal reserves: international comparison

In 2020, there were about 219 billion metric tons of proved anthracite and bituminous coal reserves and 30 billion metric tons of proved sub-bituminous and lignite reserves. As of this time, the United States had one of the largest proved reserves of coal in the world, totaling almost 250 billion metric tons, followed by Australia which had about 149 billion metric tons of coal reserves. In comparison, China had 135 billion metric tons of anthracite and bituminous reserves and around 8.1 billion metric tons of sub-bituminous and lignite reserves.

Coal reserves and consumption

The United States currently holds a larger volume of coal than natural gas and oil resources. However, it is estimated that only about half of the demonstrated reserve base can be accessed due to property rights, land-use conflicts, and both environmental and physical constraints. Much of the country’s coal reserves are located in the Interior, Western, and Appalachian regions. It is expected that global consumption of coal will continue to increase until 2035. China, however, has surpassed the United States and is one of the largest consumers of coal in the world. Some two thirds of its primary energy consumption is derived from coal.