Additional West Coast coal export capacity unlikely in near term, experts say

摘要

Proposed West Coast coal export terminals made little headway in 2019, and two experts recently said they did not expect additional capacity to open in the near term. Two planned western coal terminals have been tied up in various legal battles with local or state governments as well as environmental groups. Coal producers are seeking to sell their fuel to Asian demand centers, though thermal coal export prices have dropped considerably since 2018. In California, the Richmond City Council is expected to vote in January 2020 on whether to ban coal shipments through its port after delaying a vote in early December, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.