Coal mining in Wyoming has long been a significant part of the state's economy. Wyoming has been the largest producer of coal in the United States since 1986, [1] and in 2018, coal mines employed approximately 1% of the state's population. [2] .

Between 1865 and January 1, 2022, more than 12.6 billion short tons of coal had been mined in Wyoming, most of it in the last 30 years. The highest coal production year for Wyoming was 2008 when 466.3 MST was mined. Coal mines operate in Campbell, Lincoln, and Sweetwater counties.

Wyoming, the nation’s leading coal producer since 1986, provides about 40% of America’s coal through the top 10 producing mines located in the Powder River Basin. Most Wyoming coal is sub-bituminous, which makes it an attractive choice for power plants because it has less sulfur and burns at around 8,400 to 8,800 BTUs per pound.

The North Antelope Rochelle Mine is the largest coal mine in the world. [1] [2] Located in Campbell County, Wyoming, about 65 miles (105 km) south of Gillette, it produced 85.3 million tons of coal in 2019. [3] [4] Peabody Energy opened the North Antelope Mine in the heart of Wyoming's Powder River Basin in 1983. [5] The Rochelle mine was ...

Nov 8, 2014 · Wyoming is home to nine of the nation’s 10 largest coal mines, and coal in Wyoming is mined at a rate of 12 tons per second. Fifty to 70 coal trains per day carry coal out of the Powder River Basin.

Since 1865, more than 12.5 billion short tons of coal have been mined in Wyoming. In 2021, 239 million short tons (MT) of coal were produced in Wyoming, up 9 percent from the 218 MT produced during 2020. Coal was produced from mines in Campbell, Sweetwater, and Lincoln counties in Wyoming.

Wyoming, the nation’s leading coal producer since 1986, provides about 40% of America’s coal through the top 10 producing mines located in the Powder River Basin. Wyoming coal is considered clean burning, which means it is better for the environment.

The LQD regulates the permitting of coal production in the state. The LQD’s regulations include issuing a variety of permits for coal mining activities, preparing cumulative hydrologic impact assessments (CHIA), and issuing annual reports on coal mining sites around the state.

This page contains links to maps, Google Earth files, GIS datasets, and publications describing the locations of coal resources and mining activity in Wyoming.

Oct 3, 2001 · Coal mining is the second largest mining industry in Wyoming (in terms of employment) following oil and gas. It provided an average employment of 4,706 (29% of total mining employment) in 1996 and produced about 278 million tons of coal (26% of total U.S. coal production) in the same year.