In 1981, there were 38,500 people employed by coal companies in Wyoming. Thirty years later, that number fell to 7,000. Coal mining in Wyoming has been an important part of the state’s economy for decades, and it continues to be. There has been a steady decline in the industry, however, due mainly to Greenhouse gasses causing climate change, falling prices, and competition from alternate energy sources.

In 2015, there was a dramatic drop in the state’s coal production, and the economy took a huge hit. Production fell by 25% of its typical 400-million-tons, and roughly 1,000 jobs were eliminated. By 2018, 5,535 people were employed at the state’s 16 mines according to the annual mining report. Continuing the downward trend, coal production in 2018 was down 12 million tons from 2017.

While coal fired power plants still generate 38% of the world’s electricity, there’s competition from other sources. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, currently make 25% of the world’s power. With constant innovation and government subsidies, these renewable energies will probably grab a larger share in the coming years. The low cost of natural gas plants have also led to the closure of many coal plants and have taken part of the energy market.

Rather than sit back and accept their fate, coal businesses in Wyoming are working to find different uses for this material. Located in Gillette, WY, one of the areas hit hardest by the recent downturn, is Atlas Carbon. They’ve developed a process to alter the chemical composition of coal, and the finished product is a tiny pebble with microscopic pores, known as “activated carbon.” The tiny pebbles can be used to scrub gas vapor from engines and in water filtration.

As reported by the World Economic Forum, a group of scientists shared what they believe to be the future of coal. Lead scientist Jeffrey Grossman found that coal has certain electrical conductivity properties, like silicon, and it can provide the traits needed to produce different components. He believes that coal could become that basis for electronic devices, solar panels, and batteries.

While businesses and academic leaders look for other uses for coal, coal plants continue to close, and the demand for coal is in steady decline. While much of the world still uses coal for energy and the move away from it has been slow, this transition is still happening; the people of Wyoming are feeling it.