Wyoming is a major coal producing state, accounting for about 40% of all coal mining in the United States.
But while other coal states like West Virginia and Kentucky posted strong rebounds last year, Wyoming lagged behind.
Unlike in the eastern U.S., most of Wyoming's coal is used for producing electricity -- and when demand for energy declined in the U.S. last year, it set Wyoming's mining industry slightly back.
Now that energy is rebounding and coal prices are soaring, Wyoming is likely to come out ahead again in 2011.
