Long term however we do have to worry. Westmoreland’s mines are close to their customers, e.g. power plants. Some of those plants are scheduled to either be closed or converted to gas. Given the previous administration's hostility to coal, there will be a great reluctance to build or keep coal fired plants for fear that regulatory burdens will be reinstated. Sooner or later Democrats will return to power and I cannot see any one of them getting elected without an anti-coal, pro-renewables platform. (Not starting a political fight but it is the way it is.) No business will risk making huge capital expenditures if there is a high risk that they will not be able to realise returns on those investments.
So that would leave the export market. WLBA has one mine, the Coal Valley mine, that exports coal to power utilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Their competitors may be in a better logistical position for that market.
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