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U.S. Geological Survey
Fact Sheet 020-01 Online Version 1.0

The U.S. Geological Survey National Coal Resource Assessment

By Brenda Pierce

Few people realize that more than half of the electricity produced in the United States is generated by coal-fired powerplants. The United States has abundant supplies of coal. Understanding where coal is available and of sufficient quality to meet current emission standards is important to ensure adequate energy supplies in the future.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for providing the Federal Government with objective scientific information to support decisions regarding land management, environmental quality, and economic, energy, and strategic policy. To fulfill this responsibility, the USGS periodically assesses the Nation's endowment of energy resources. The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) is a multiyear effort by the USGS Energy Resources Program having three goals:

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URL of this page: https://pubs.usgs.gov/factsheet/fs020-01/
Maintained by: Eastern Publications Group Web Team
Created 03/21/01
Last modified: 03/21/01 (krw)