Most West Virginians likely believe they have a general understanding of the significance of our coal industry in keeping the lights on for the rest of the country, and the size of its role in ensuring domestic energy security.

But sometimes hard numbers from the coal companies themselves make us take a step back from what we thought we knew.

According to CSX Corp.’s fourth quarter earnings report, the railroad has seen a 14% decline in domestic coal shipments for the full year of 2024 — but a 9% increase in export shipments.

“Export coal decreased primarily due to reduced production, including planned and unplanned outages at customer facilities,” the report said, according to WV Public Broadcasting. “Domestic coal decreased primarily due to lower shipments of coal to utility plants, as well as lower thermal shipments to river terminals.”

CSX, which has more miles of track than any other railroad operating in West Virginia, moved only 39 million tons of domestic coal in 2024, down from 45 million tons in the previous year. On the other hand, it moved 44 million tons of export coal, up from 40 million tons in 2023.

Of course, given new Chinese tariffs on coal exported from the U.S. — 15%, part of the retaliatory tariffs imposed by Beijing — the export numbers could take a hit.

Among the reasons for the shift are a change in the way the U.S. produces its electricity. Twenty years ago, coal accounted for approximately 50% of domestic electricity production. Now, it accounts for closer to 16%. And it’s not just renewable energy sources that have cut into coal’s dominance. Natural gas — another Appalachian resource — has contributed significantly to the shift. Natural gas supplied about 43% of the nation’s power last year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Still, CSX sends out northern and central Appalachian coal from its export terminals in Virginia and Maryland in quantities that remind us there remains a demand, just perhaps not one that fits the narrative to which some politicians have clung for generations.

Next time a person looking to gain political points spouts something about the coal industry in West Virginia that doesn’t seem quite right, remember, there are ways to find the numbers that tell the real story. For West Virginia coal, that story is changing, but it is far from over. It remains important to the nation’s energy mix.