U.S. coal exports are projected to decrease this year due to the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which cut off access to the nation’s second-biggest coal port, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Tuesday.
The agency had previously projected coal exports would rise 1 percent in 2024 compared to last year. But the EIA reversed its estimates following the March 26 bridge collapse, now saying coal exports will decrease by 6 percent this year.
In the short term, the bridge disaster will push U.S. coal exports down 33 percent for April and 20 percent for May compared to the agency’s prior forecast.
“We expect U.S. coal exports to recover toward the end of the summer or early fall, but there is significant uncertainty based on the timeline for the port reopening and how quickly exporters can adjust to export through alternative ports,” EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis said in a statement.
