Coal Shortage

I have read there is an anthracite shortage this winter. I am planning on installing a coal fireplace insert. What is your perspective on this? Should I be looking for other types of heat. I live in WV and the local stove dealer sells the bags of anthracite. I just wanted to make sure that the coal would be available for the next several years.
Thanks

Edit:
Just to make you aware this was originally posted in March 2005
The Management

The coal supply usually gets a little short around this time of the year. It hasn't affected me because there's a plentiful supply of raw product where I purchase it from. The issue your concerned with is the producers south of where I'm at, there having issues getting the raw coal to process.

A small stove such as that doesn't require much coal, usually 3 to 4 tons is sufficient. 5 maximum. Purchase what you need in the summer or fall or if you don't have room for it get what you need prior to the end of January and you shouldn't have any problems.

You may want to consider purchasing in bulk, bagged coal is roughly twice the cost or more.

Any update on this? Recently I've read that Anthricite supplies are virtually exhausted. Other indicators say this is not so.

Right now it's not an issue for me, what the situation is elsewhere or in the future I don't know. I don't want to make any predictions, many people read this site. I wouldn't want to start a mini panic such as the local newspaper did last year by running the "coal shortage" article. There wasn't one locally until right after they ran that article, everyone paniced and they cleaned the supplies right out. It was only for about 1 week where there was an issue getting coal where I was purchasing it and that only pertained to rice coal.

Where do you purchase your coal?

At the coal breaker. I can't/won't provide that info. This is one of the most findable sites on the internet for anthracite that sells coal. Right now they probably wouldn't provide coal to new customers anyway.

There is no coal shortage and won't be for the forseeable future. There is more than enough mine capacity to fill any need necessary. The real question is local dislocation in supplies, whether deliberate (such as to raise the price), which would only be a temperary thing or coincidental, due to a local run on coal supplies. Anthracite has a limited market (as of now) since the manyuses, ecept filtration, are regional (not national) and bituminous fills many of these bills at a lower price. Everyone wants to burn coal now, due to the spike in natural gas and oil prices. I converted to coal (NJ) in 1981 with my Glacier Bay insert and later a Harman furnace(s). There are only so many suppliers of reliable coal buring heating appliances (eg Keystone, Harman, Hitzer, etc) and they could not possibly supply enough stoves to meet demand. So the incrimental increase in coal usage this year or in years to come for anthracite home heating would be miniscule.
Practically speaking, of all the friends whom I touted onto anthracite coal over the last 20 years, all, execpt one, has ignored my advice and just laughed at my 19th century attitude. This year, they are busting down my doors for advice. I smile and tell them to check this and other energy forums. Additionally, most people, in the long run, don't want to deal with the tending, dumping ashes and seasonal maintainance that goes with burning coal. It will be people like Dane Harman who will bring this industry back (home heating) to the general homeowner. But the real ugly 500 lb gorilla that looms in the future for the anthracite industry is China, who can sell Anthracite coal FOB Atlantic ports at 50-60$/ton and crush what could be the revival of the Eastern PA anthracite industry.

I'm trying to stay out of this but I'll comment on a few things.

iggy wrote:There is more than enough mine capacity to fill any need necessary.

True but it's the processed product that people need. there's only a limited amount of places, same situation that the oil industry is facing. There's only so many refineries. As for the price increase currently I'm charging about 8% more than in the summer. Most of that is due to the normal fall increase and increased fuel expenses. Really hasn't gone up much but I do expect it to.

So the incrimental increase in coal usage this year or in years to come for anthracite home heating would be miniscule.

Again, true but they are not the only ones that will need a to be supplied. Currently I'm getting orders from customers that I have not heard from in years. One that didn't burn for 10 years, also keep in mind that there are many coal stoves in this area that are "coming out of the woodwork" so to speak.

iggy wrote: But the real ugly 500 lb gorilla that looms in the future for the anthracite industry is China, who can sell Anthracite coal FOB Atlantic ports at 50-60$/ton and crush what could be the revival of the Eastern PA anthracite industry.

I've gotten many spec sheets from companies in china, if that is what they offering they can keep it. It's not up to the standards my customers would expect.

I do agree with the rebutal of our Forum Administrator as to the points of old customers firin' up their squirreled away stoves and to the ability to process available product at the breaker (a la "when was the last oil refinery built- 1979!"). Though nowhere as expensive to build as a refinery, the long term outlook for the price and demand for anthracite will have to be conducive to build new processing facilities. The only point that I (respectively) dissagree with the Administrator is that Chinese coal will not make inroads in the industry. I have seen in my line of work tremendous encroachment of chinese made products, supplanting american made goods simply because it was cheaper. You may have the integrity to sell American coal, but if the price and/or demand/supply situation should change, rest assured there will be those who will sell Chinese coal at yours (and ultimately our expense) for simple economic reasons. The market force will unfortunately rule.

iggy3 wrote: The market force will unfortunately rule.

Yes it will and it's been my experience that most people are willing to pay for a better product therefore I don't think Chinese coal will have a major impact in my anthracite niche. Maybe for industrial purposes but not for home heating unless they can provide a equal or better product. As I stated before I haven't seen that in the specs I've seen sent to me.

Richard S. wrote:At the coal breaker. I can't/won't provide that info. This is one of the most findable sites on the internet for anthracite that sells coal. Right now they probably wouldn't provide coal to new customers anyway.

Just stumbled on this 3-yrs late (LOL) but something doesn't sound right here. On one hand you say there's no shortage, yet you say you won't supply your suppliers name because "they probably wouldn't provide coal to new customers anyway". The only reason a supplier of anything (including coal) won't supply things to new customers is either because there's a shortage of the item (in this case coal) and they want to give preference to their existing customers or (even more rare) they're maxed-out employee wise in being able to mine it and either way they both result in a shortage of coal that can be delivered ...... Are we missing something here?

They probably don't want to overwork themselves. More customers buying more coal means more work, and if they are making it fine now why make more work, it's just more taxes. I also should say that I live in New York, 200 miles from the nearest coal breaker and I can get probably 500 tons of rice coal today if I wanted it, I don't think there is any shortage or reason to panic. I mean if you are operating on a daily basis picking up 2 bags a day to keep warm then you might find that some places are sold out and you might have a local shortage, places like the tractor store and home depot are famous for having "limited supply" price hikes to get people to buy. Unless some ridiculous anti-mining laws get passed I think there is more than enough coal in Pennsylvania to last us all until global warming negates the need for coal. edit oops I didn't realize there might have been a shortage in 2005.

There is a coal shortage....depends on where you live

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