The transportation data presented on this page are taken from the Coal Transportation Rate Database (CTRDB) maintained by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), pursuant to congressional mandate. The CTRDB is a compilation of data drawn primarily from a survey conducted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) using Form 580, “Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy Purchase Practices.” FERC Form 580 collects, among many other data elements, information on cost, quantity, quality, and origin of coal purchased under contract by investor-owned, interstate electric utility plants with steam-electric generating stations of more than 50 megawatts, and on the transportation rate, mode, and distance of the contract coal shipments. FERC began collecting Form 580 data in 1979 to meet requirements under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-617).

The FERC Form 580 survey uniquely provides data needed for utility coal transportation analysis. However, it should be noted that the survey’s coverage is substantially smaller than that of FERC Form 423, “Monthly Report of Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants,” which includes both contract and spot coal shipments to all electric utilities whether they are investor-owned, publicly owned, interstate, or intrastate. Hence, coal transportation rates based on the FERC Form 580 survey present “representative” rather than actual rates for all utility coals.

The CTRDB currently contains FERC Form 580 data for 1979 through 1999. Data are collected every two years. The CTRDB is limited to public use data; these data do not identify the minemouth coal prices and the transportation costs separately for respondents that request confidentiality.