The Influence of Coal Transportation Cost on the Optimal Distribution of Coal and the Optimal Location of Electric Power Generation Plants

摘要

More coal moves on both railways and waterways than does any other commodity. As consumption increases, market patterns and the average distance it is hauled are changing significantly. This investigation is an attempt to define optimal regional coal markets to best serve the nation's rising energy needs. The research has required identification of coal traffic flows and its spatial equilibrium among markets that are defined through this analytical framework. The influence of market structure on demand and supply is a point of emphasis throughout the study, both in the theoretical investigation and the empirical testing.