The history of energy production in Pennsylvania dates back to over 200 years ago when coal mining began in Pennsylvania. The state is still one of the five largest coal producing states in the United States according to the Energy Information Administration. The northeast of Pennsylvania has virtually all of the nation’s reserves of anthracite coal. The state is a major coal producer, and also exports to states on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Not only does Pennsylvania produce and export coal, but they are still among the nation’s major coal consumers. The western half of the state still uses coal to generate electricity and to produce coke for steelmaking.

Pennsylvania is also known for being the first in milestones for the nation’s energy production. According to the Institute for Energy Research, in 1859 Titusville, PA became home to the world’s first commercial oil well drilled which would play a role in the world’s first oil boom. Then in 1957, Shippingport, PA became home to the nation’s first commercial nuclear reactor.

Today the state has the second-largest nuclear capacity in the United States. The Marcellus Shale could potentially  be the next big source for energy production for Pennsylvania. This state has been known for its rich endowment of fossil fuels, with substantial reserves of coal and now it has the potential to be known for natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.