This report investigates the economic and market consequences of the Federal Coal Conversion Program on the domestic coal industry. The author, Ronald F. Ayres, utilizes data compiled for the Battelle Columbus Laboratories to analyze how federal mandates requiring power plants to shift from oil or gas to coal influence pricing structures and market demand. The framework focuses on the intersection of regulatory policy and industrial energy consumption patterns during the period of the program's implementation.

Experts identify this report as a specialized technical document providing a snapshot of energy policy during a specific regulatory era. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and its utility as a primary source for understanding historical industrial energy transitions.