North America coal short-term outlook May 2022

Warmer weather is sweeping across North America as the shoulder season nears its end. As expected, US coal-fired generation fell seasonally, but demand for coal remained unfulfilled during this year’s shoulder months thanks to sluggish production response and critical infrastructure delays. Major producers suggest that production will increase through the year as they hire and train more employees and increase productivity. However, until railcar availability improves, stockpiles at mines will continue to grow and stockpiles at coal plants will continue to shrink until railcar availability improves.