Coal is the number one fuel source for electricity in Virginia. About 44% of Virginia’s electricity is generated from coal. Coal is also one energy source that Virginia exports. The Southwest Virginia counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise contain vast deposits of bituminous coal and are part of the Appalachian Coal Basin stretching from Alabama to Pennsylvania. Virginia is one of the top 10 coal producing states in the United States.
According to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, coal is Virginia’s most valuable mineral resource.
The coal industry is investing important resources into new technologies from clean coal technologies to carbon capture and permanent storage techniques.