U.S. Coal Production & Federal Lands
Changes from April 25, 2025 to March 4, 2026
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Summary
U.S. Coal Production & Federal Lands
Almost half of coal production in the United States today occurs on federal lands. The Western coal region contains some of the top coal-producing states in the country. Although coal generates hundreds of millions of dollars in federal revenue annually, in 2023In 2024, coal generated$446.3 million in federal revenue, and oil and gas generated about 30 times as much federal revenue as coal.
over 30 times that amount. Federal revenues are partly derived from royalties, the rates of which have recently changed. Map
Federal estate
Coal-producing areas as designated by EIA
Dotted lines roughly indicate region boundaries.
Onshore surface acres administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Park Service. Excludes lands administered by other federal agencies.
Hawaii does not produce coal.
20232024 Total U.S. Coal Production 580,757
Production on Nonfederal Lands 311,534 (53%)
Production on Federal Lands 269,223 (47%)
Federal Revenue from Coal $474.5M
2003-2023
2004-2024
Coal production on federal lands and Federal revenue from coal
Coal production excludesFederal Revenue from Oil and Gas
Data exclude "refuse recovery." Coal" and production and revenues from Native American lands are excluded. Coal revenue totals. Numbers may not add up due to rounding. † Coal revenues may be paid on nonproducing leases or may reflect production in prior years.
Sources: Federal production, total production,sum due to rounding. While production is the most significant driver of revenues, payments on new and nonproducing leases, fees, and more also contribute to revenues. Revenues may vary across states depending on these factors, different royalty rates, and more. † Revenues may come from nonproducing leases or reflect past production.
Sources: Federal production and revenues from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). NonfederalTotal production from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and ONRR. . Nonfederal production is the difference between ONRR and EIA production values. Map geography based on data from EIA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and ESRI.
Information as of April 25, 2025March 4, 2026. Prepared by Lexie Ryan, Analyst in Energy Policy; Molly Cox, Geospatial Information Systems Analyst; and Amber Wilhelm, Visual Information Specialist.