Since coal ceased being shipped down the coast from Seattle to San Francisco decades ago, there has not been much of a coal market in California. Yet there are enormous reserves in the west and Alaska to which California has good access. In addition to use by conventional power plants, there are longer-term prospects for coal as an energy source in California because of new technologies. Bagge discusses coal production and use as well as the recovery of capital investment. He believes that the coal supply could be increased depending on the demand. The greatest uncertainty facing the coal industry is the affect of new federal surface mining legislation. Other concerns are coal mine productivity and expansion.