据美国矿山协会短期预测,到1998年年底美国煤炭产量和消耗量将创纪录。1998年煤产量预计将增加2.4%,为创纪录的10亿t。这是由于地区产量的变动,增加量的一半以上由密西西比河西部的煤矿生产。西部煤矿产量将增加5%,为4.96亿t。东部煤矿产量将保持在1997年的水平,为5.21亿t。1997年煤进口量总计为630万t,1998年将保持该水平。美国国内煤的总消耗量和出口量将增加到10.3亿t,比1997年增加2.3%。一些不用的发电机(NUG)正在增加销售到电网的发电量。1997年这些发电机使用了2350万t煤。预计1998年将使用2540万t According to the short-term prediction of the American Mines Association, by the end of 1998, the United States will record a record of coal production and consumption. Coal production in 1998 is expected to increase by 2.4% to a record 1 billion tons. This is due to changes in regional production, with more than half of the increase being produced by coal mines in the western Mississippi. Western coal mine production will increase by 5% to 496 million tons. The output of the eastern coal mine will remain at the level of 1997, which is 521 million tons. Coal imports totalled 6.3 million tons in 1997 and will remain at that level in 1998. Total domestic coal consumption and exports will increase to 1.03 billion tons, an increase of 2.3% over 1997. Some unused generators (NUGs) are increasing the amount of electricity sold to the grid. In 1997, these generators used 23.5 million tons of coal. It is expected to use 25.4 million tons in 1998