A comparison of coal supply-demand in China and in the US based on a network model

Through analysis the actual coal supply and demand in the US and China, the properties of the coal supply-demand market in both countries are investigated based on the energy supply-demand network. The validity of our model is verified by comparing numerical results with empirical results. The comparison of empirical results and the comparison of coal network model parameters between in the US and in China reveal the essence of the internal differences and similarities of coal supply and demand in these two countries. The third stage of China’s coal network was close to that of the US in 1995, indicating that the evolutional situation of China’s coal market begins to transit to an oligopolistic type. Finally, suggestions for China’s coal supply-demand strategy are put forward.