January 30, 2024

The cost of transporting coal to the electric power sector increased in 2022

We released new data on the electric power sector’s coal transportation costs. The release incorporates final data for 2022 from Form EIA-923, which we collect from electric power plant owners and operators. The data release based on our Form EIA-923 includes tables with costs, in nominal and real (2022) dollars, across regions, states, and modes of transportation.

Data highlights

• The average transportation cost for coal in the United States rose from $17.02 per ton in 2021 to $18.69 per ton in 2022 (in 2022 dollars).

• Transportation costs increased across all three modes (railroad, waterway, and truck) and across almost all regional and state routes. Costs decreased in two cases, one involving railroad transport from the Illinois Basin to West Virginia, the other involving waterway transport within the state of Pennsylvania.