West Virginia’s coal industry is currently being hit by a “perfect storm” of regulatory and market factors and the result has been a sharp drop in production – in both the southern and northern coalfields.

According to the EIA’s latest weekly report, while coal production nationwide has slipped just 0.3 percent and West Virginia has seen a drop of just 0.5 percent for the year ending 2/12/12, the more recent trends have shown a steep drop in production – down 2.4 percent nationwide for the year-to-date. In West Virginia, meanwhile, year-to-date production is off 7.2 percent from the same period in 2011 – to just 15.4 tons compared to 16.6 million tons last year.

This sharp decrease is fueled by both a drop in demand as the nation’s utilities work through stockpiles of coal left from a mild winter and decreased demand for met coal because of the economic uncertainties around the world, as well as regulatory uncertainty caused by the Obama EPA’s on-going assault on coal.

Planning is underway for this year’s WV Coal Association’s State Journal insert. This special publication will print in late-July.  It is a great opportunity to get the message out that coal is and will remain the economic bedrock of the state’s economy. This past year’s edition included production, employment, coal severance data, membership profiles, editorial features and other key information.

Friends of Coal sponsored events are as follows and would welcome participation as far as trophy presentations.

*  February 25 – Wrestling State Championships 6 – 10 p.m. – Big Sandy Arena, Huntington

*  March 10 – Girl’s Basketball State Championship 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston                                        Civic Center

*  March 17 – Boy’s Basketball State Championship – 12:00 – 3:30 & 9 p.m. – Charleston                                    Civic Center

Please let the Association know if you have an interest in awarding trophies at any of these events representing the Friends of Coal.

The West Virginia Eleventh Annual CEDAR Golf Classic will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at the Twisted Gun Golf Course in Wharncliffe, West Virginia.  Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with golf beginning at 10 a.m. promptly.  Contact Bud Clapp at bud.clapp@nscorp.com for more information.

Last week’s Coal Bits listed the Kentucky CEDAR Golf Tournament.