Coal sources of United States are highly concentrated and coal is currently mined in 26 states. In 2007, just three states Kentucky, West Virginia, and Wyoming of United States produced 63% coal with each contributing 10, 13, and 40 percent in whole U.S. coal production respectively.
Underground mines in the Appalachian region provided long before most of coal to America. Underground mines produced 421 million short tons, which was the 75 percent of the coal production in whole United States in 1950. But today surface mining had overtaken underground mining , accounting of production in 2007. Wyoming was the largest single source of U.S coal in 2007, most of it coming from the enormous Powder River Basin.
Though lower production costs are an important factor in this condition and also the sulfur content of the coal. After 1990 amendments in the clean air act, forced to reduce the use of high sulfur contained coal for reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from coal plants. As the sub bituminous coal west of the Mississippi contains so less sulfur per unit energy released in combustion, so according to that law it favored western surface mines as a dominant source of newer coal production.
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