Representing 85% of domestic coal consumption, electric utilities are burning more coal under stricter environmental regulations than ever before. Their stake in the application of coal geoscience and related disciplines is urgent and ranges from national issues to local fuel management practices. At a national level, the availability and price of Appalachian low-sulfur coal are critical unresolved questions. Uncertainties in resources in-place are compounded by uncertainties in recoverability, marketability, and transportation. In the face of acid deposition legislation, utility fuel and compliance strategies are influenced by these considerations and a host of other utility-specific factors, none of which are well understood. Day-to-day fuel management practices call fo increased attention to coal quality, reliability, variability, and performance in efforts to reduce electricity-generation costs, but the necessary information is rarely available. The role of applied coal geoscience, properly integrated with other disciplines, is enormous and will yield benefits to both coal producers and utilities.

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