<P> The history of coal mining goes back thousands of years . It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries , when it was primarily used to power steam engines , heat buildings and generate electricity . Coal mining continues as an important economic activity today . Compared to wood fuels , coal yields a higher amount of energy per mass and can often be obtained in areas where wood is not readily available . Though it was used historically as a domestic fuel , coal is now used mostly in industry , especially in smelting and alloy production as well as electricity generation . Large - scale coal mining developed during the Industrial Revolution , and coal provided the main source of primary energy for industry and transportation in industrial areas from the 18th century to the 1950s . Coal remains an important energy source because of its low cost and abundance compared to other fuels , particularly for electricity generation . Coal is also mined today on a large scale by open pit methods wherever the coal strata strike the surface or are relatively shallow . Britain developed the main techniques of underground coal mining from the late 18th century onward , with further progress being driven by 19th century and early 20th century progress . However , oil and gas were increasingly used as alternatives from the 1860s onward . </P>
<P> The history of coal mining goes back thousands of years . It became important in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th centuries , when it was primarily used to power steam engines , heat buildings and generate electricity . Coal mining continues as an important economic activity today . Compared to wood fuels , coal yields a higher amount of energy per mass and can often be obtained in areas where wood is not readily available . Though it was used historically as a domestic fuel , coal is now used mostly in industry , especially in smelting and alloy production as well as electricity generation . Large - scale coal mining developed during the Industrial Revolution , and coal provided the main source of primary energy for industry and transportation in industrial areas from the 18th century to the 1950s . Coal remains an important energy source because of its low cost and abundance compared to other fuels , particularly for electricity generation . Coal is also mined today on a large scale by open pit methods wherever the coal strata strike the surface or are relatively shallow . Britain developed the main techniques of underground coal mining from the late 18th century onward , with further progress being driven by 19th century and early 20th century progress . However , oil and gas were increasingly used as alternatives from the 1860s onward . </P>
when did coal become a major energy source
when did coal become a major energy source
the Industrial Revolution
the Industrial Revolution