Coal markets - North America short-term outlook - December 2021

Thanks to the cutbacks in coal generation over the past couple months, stockpiles have seen some much-needed gains. Although not out of the woods yet, stocks rose by about 4 Mst for the month. Coal generation in December recovered slightly but was still below historic levels. Utilities are still concerned about stocks running low, especially if we experience a cold spell this winter. At almost 70 TWh, output was 12% lower than December 2020. More normal levels of coal generation are expected to return in January as we plow through winter.