U.S. coal stockpiles dipped to just 80 million tons in September, the lowest monthly total since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began tracking such information in 2001. U.S. coal stocks fell 4.8 percent over the course of the previous month, according to the EIA. The record-breaking low came as a national and global energy crunch has driven up the cost of coal, natural gas, and oil, with Chinese buyers willing to purchase coal at “any price,” as reported by Al Jazeera. In recent years, the percentage of electric power generated by coal in the United States has rapidly declined, an outcome some commentators have attributed to actions by the Obama administration, such as the 2015 Clean Power Plan. Others have claimed that cheaper natural gas was the primary reason for coal’s downfall. During its first few months, the Biden administration shut down the Keystone XL pipeline and halted oil and gas leasing …