The cost of transporting coal to the U.S. electric power sector fell slightly in 2023

Greenberg February 12, 2025 in News - 2 Minutes

In-brief analysis

February 12, 2025

We released new data on the U.S. electric power sector’s coal transportation costs. The release incorporates final data for 2023 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 (2023) dollars, across regions, states, and modes of transportation. These transportation rates are calculated as a weighted average of the difference between the commodity cost and total delivered cost of coal shipments to plants in the electric power sector. In addition, the rates are based on the primary transport mode that a plant’s owner or operator selects, but they may include other secondary or tertiary modes.

Data highlights

After accounting for inflation, the average transportation cost for coal in the United States declined from $19.29 per ton in 2022 to $18.77 per ton in 2023 (in 2023 dollars). In nominal terms, it rose from $18.69 in 2022 to $18.77 in 2023.

The nominal average cost of transporting coal by railroad and waterway increased slightly in 2023, while the average cost of transporting coal by truck declined slightly.

On a regional basis, a mix of marginal increases and decreases in nominal prices existed across modes of transport and across states and coal supply basins. Overall, the average cost of rail transport increased in the Illinois Basin and in Appalachia. The cost decreased in the Western region. By truck and waterway, average costs decreased in Appalachia but increased in the Illinois Basin.

Price changes in real terms were more sizable in a few cases. For example:

The cost of rail transport from the Northern Appalachian coal basin to North Carolina increased in real terms from $31.99 in 2022 to $38.00 in 2023. This increase is similar to an inflation-adjusted increase in the cost of rail transport from Pennsylvania to North Carolina (from $31.23 in 2022 to $37.44 in 2023).

The cost of rail transport from the Central Appalachian coal basin to North Carolina increased in real terms from $25.08 in 2022 to $29.49 in 2023. This increase is similar to an inflation-adjusted increase in the cost of rail transport from West Virginia to North Carolina (from $26.98 in 2022 to $30.66 in 2023).

The cost of truck transport from the Northern Appalachian coal basin to Pennsylvania declined in real terms from $13.05 in 2022 to $8.50 in 2023. This decrease is similar to an inflation-adjusted decrease in the cost of intrastate truck transport in Pennsylvania (from $12.62 in 2022 to $8.50 in 2023).

The cost of rail transport from the Illinois Basin to Kentucky declined in real terms from $13.12 in 2022 to $7.62 in 2023. This decrease is similar to an inflation-adjusted decrease in the cost of intrastate rail transport in Kentucky (from $15.06 in 2022 to $7.92 in 2023).