Study: Coal Industry Contributes $21 Billion to West Virginia Economy

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A new study from the West Virginia University Bureau of Business & Economic Research finds that the combined contribution of coal mining and coal-fired power plants contributed $21 billion to the West Virginia economy in 2024. The study, The Economic Impact of Coal and Coal-Fired Power Generation in West Virginia, estimates that the direct economic impact of these activities was $15.5 billion, while the indirect impact was $5.5 billion. 


Unfortunately, the only reference material that is available is this press release from the West Virginia Coal Association. A search for the report takes the reader to a 2021 version, but the 2026 version of the West Virginia University analysis doesn’t seem to be available anywhere, leaving us unable to determine how this analysis was conducted.


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