Kentucky’s vast reserves of bituminous coal have enabled it to remain one of the nation’s leading coal producers for many years. Coal is mined in the Western Coal Region and in the eastern Mountain Region. Western Coal produces a product with a high sulfur content that is used primarily for steam power generation and for domestic use. Eastern Kentucky’s coal is of higher quality and can be used to produce coke, a nearly pure form of carbon used in the steel industry. Both underground and surface mining methods are used in Kentucky’s coal fields.
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The two coal districts and Pennyrile also have oil and natural gas deposits, although they are small. There are several refineries in the state, for which most of the crude oil is delivered by pipeline from the Gulf Coast. Kentucky also has deposits of vein minerals, a variety of clays, and limestone.
Almost all of the state’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants, which are most densely concentrated in the Western Coal Field. Hydroelectric plants in southwestern and south-central Kentucky provide most of the remaining electricity. Natural gas from both the Big Sandy River field and the Gulf Coast also fuels several power plants.