The Port of Duluth-Superior, one of the largest shipping ports in the United States, is being impacted by the continuing decline in coal. Still its second largest commodity, 20 million tons of coal delivered to the Port and distributed across the Great Lakes region in 2008 was down to only 8 million tons in 2019. The decline reflects the country’s shift to cheap natural gas and clean renewable energy.
The Port Authority is shifting accordingly and diversifying through wind energy. In 2019, the Port took in 306,000 tons of wind energy components. While that business is relatively minor, the wind shipments are celebrated as an industry gaining steam at the port. Overall, 2,800 jobs are directly supported by the port. Minnpost, GreatLakesNow