Coal producers could see short-lived respite

CASPER — After a bruising year battling the one-two punch of the COVID-19 pandemic and collapse in energy markets, coal operators in Wyoming could receive a small boost in demand in 2021, but it may be short-lived.

In 2020, U.S. coal production came in around 26% below the levels of the prior year, according to initial data compiled by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an impartial data center. Residential and commercial demand for electricity slumped during the pandemic as states enforced stay-at-home orders and industrial activity slowed.

Wyoming is the country’s largest producer o...