Spring Canyon Coal Company, William Shipler, 1925.
by Jackie Edwards.
For over a hundred years, coal has been the lifeblood of the American economy, a driver of growth, and part of the country’s rich cultural tradition. Unfortunately, demand for coal has declined significantly over the past 50 years, leaving many towns and cities in decline. The New York Times recently featured widespread flooding in Kentucky, exacerbated by former coal pits; in Utah, coal pit fires put towns and villages at risk of extinction. Disasters in coal mining towns are nothing new, of course, but their long-term impact is now putting unexpected consequences on the USA.
There is a way forward. Sustainable, exciting initiatives are underway across the country to reshape these old mining communities. Through this, the modern day is being brought to an iconic, if outdated, part of American culture.
Embracing new energy
Former Coal Miners put to work by the WPA in Zeigler, Illinois, by Arthur Rothstein, 1939.
Coal extraction and its lasting impact are seen through energy generation. Coal fired the generators of industry, and then, in time, it fired the generators of electricity, the great enabler of the 21st Century. From 1900 to 1931, a significant electrification charge completely transformed how the nation lit and heated its homes, with 70% of homes electrified and most relying on coal energy.
It is poetic that coal can serve as the foundation for some of the most advanced methods of energy generation. By using sustainable building materials, such as modern concrete compounds (another material at the heart of American history and infrastructure, and one seeing a close focus on its innovation), and then pairing this with electric energy generation, such as hydro, solar, and wind, coalfields can become a phoenix for energy generation. The Environmental Protection Agency highlights examples in Rio Grande County, Colorado, and Questa, New Mexico.
Turning to history
Where energy generation is not possible, one of the most popular uses for former coal sites is historical and nature-reserve purposes. In West Virginia, one of the most significant coal-mining states, this approach has been adopted at many former coal sites, primarily to the state’s benefit.
Beckley, WV – Exhibition Coal Mine. Photo by Kathy Alexander.
According to WOW KTV, a nature reserve has been established at the Kanawha State Forest, and the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, a private mine, has been transformed into an important historical site and museum. Hersnshaw Farms, most curiously, has shifted its focus towards agriculture. They have opened an expanding mushroom-farming site, using the conditions created by coal caverns to replicate the ideal conditions in which mushrooms can grow in large quantities. Finally, the recently closed SEVA WV’s SunPark is partly used for renewable energy but is also being developed into an area that will host housing, recreation, and leisure activities. This is of particular interest – how coal towns can be regenerated to provide future housing.
Creating a new society
America offers interesting case studies of coal-mining villages and towns that have been turned into cities of the future. The Ohio River Valley Institute, a research group that studies regeneration in such communities, highlights the great successes of Centralia and Washington State. A former mining town, it has embarked on a regeneration process that can act as a template for other states.
Centralia has invested heavily in renewable energy. Following the negotiation of a $55 million coal transition fund with federal authorities, a fund has been established to support energy efficiency upgrades for low- and moderate-income residents, as well as an energy technology fund to help promote energy generation. Employment rates have surged. GDP growth has increased dramatically and is expected to continue; it’s primarily driven by private enterprises, with government enterprises having a relatively low impact.
A key reason Centralia has been successful is the existing community. These coal communities, far from being ‘ghost towns,’ are simply places that are perhaps forgotten by the wider national community and need some love and care. $55 million is a relatively low figure by national standards; that small investment is now yielding a return, and a community with close ties is being reinvigorated.
A train comes through Thurmond, West Virginia, by Kathy Alexander.
Inspiration from Germany
Another lesson in coal regeneration can be seen abroad. In a review of how to make coal transitions fair in the wider community, the American Bar Association highlights Germany’s Ruhr region as a positive example. A classic area of natural wealth and industrialization, it transitioned in the mid-1960s from a highly industrialized, primary-industry region to a largely service-oriented economy and an educational hub.
Crucial to these efforts has been enfranchising workers during the transition. Creating sustainable, high-quality modern communities takes more than building the businesses and infrastructure that support them. Instead, every worker needs a say in the change; communities must be consulted and involved. They were the country’s lifeblood then, and now, even as the broader economy insists they don’t play a key role in modern industry, they do have a say. They are the sustainable factor in any regeneration.
©Jackie Edwards, for Legends of America, August 2023, updated October 2026.
About the Author – Jackie Edwards was a mining engineer before becoming a semi-retired freelance writer.
Also See:Â
Three of the Most Celebrated Gardens in American History
Thurmond, West Virginia – National Park Ghost Town