On Friday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released official statistics of the U.S. electric power sector for the month of August as part of its EIA Form-923 reporting. As reported in EIA’s 923 data, coal inventories at U.S. coal-fired power plants dropped below 90 million tons amid higher coal plant utilization rates and a constrained coal supply chain.

Energy Ventures Analysis (EVA) predicted August coal inventories to drop below 90 million tons back in September. As part of its Monthly Coal Stockpile Report, EVA surveys approximately two-thirds of U.S. coal plant operators to provide its subscribers a timely estimation of current coal consumption, delivery, and inventory levels by basin and topographical region.

As shown in the chart below, EVA has been extremely successful in accurately assessing current coal statistics well in advance of the official EIA data release. Through eight months of 2021, EVA’s accuracy in estimating actual coal inventories at U.S. coal-fired power plants has been within 0.2% of actuals two months out, falling to just 0.1% of actuals with just one month out.

Subscribers to EVA’s Monthly Coal Stockpile Report value the timeliness and accuracy of the report, allowing them to make sensible business decisions by having a clear and accurate understanding of current market conditions without delay. EVA’s Monthly Coal Stockpile Report is released approximately two weeks after the end of the previous month. For more information, please review our Coal Stockpile product page or reach out to [email protected].