Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements.

Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Summary
1 Introduction
2 Projections for U.S. and World Coal Use
3 Coal Resource, Reserve, and Quality Assessments
4 Coal Mining and Processing
5 Transport of Coal and Coal Products
6 Coal Utilization
7 Coal Research Needs and Priorities
References
Appendix A: Committee and Staff Biographies
Appendix B: Presentations to the Committee
Appendix C: Federal Support for Coal Research
Appendix D: Data Tables: U.S. and World Coal Reserves
Appendix E: Coal Mining and Processing Methods
Appendix F: Acronyms and Abbreviations
Appendix G: Unit Conversion Factorsand Energy Ratings