BLM says coal reserves will last about 40 years

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(KSL News) The head of the Bureau of Land Management's Solid Minerals Office is trying to quash speculation that Utah's coal reserves will run out in the next 15 years.

According to the Deseret Morning News, some geologists predict that will happen. But James Kohler says Utah's current coal leases and reserves could last another 40 to 45 years.

This assessment comes as emerging economies, such as those in China and India, have sparked an unprecedented surge in power plant construction.

Utah depends upon coal and the coal-mining industry.