Released: August 2021

Next MECS will be fielded in 2023.

Table 10.16 Percent of Establishments by Levels of Price Difference that Would Cause Fuel

Switching from Coal to a Less Expensive Substitute, 2018;

Level: National Data;Row: NAICS Codes;

Column: Levels of Price Difference;

Unit: Establishment Counts.

Would Not Estimate 

NAICS Establishments Switch Due 1 to 10 11 to 25 26 to 50 Over 50 Cannot 

Code(a) Subsector and Industry Able to Switch(b) to Price Percent Percent Percent Percent Be Provided 

Total United States

311 Food 9 0 3D 0 0 D 

3112 Grain and Oilseed Milling D 0 3D 0 0 D 

311221 Wet Corn Milling D 0D 0 0 0 0 

31131 Sugar Manufacturing D 00000 D 

3114 Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food 0 00000 0 

3115 Dairy Product 0 00000 0 

3116 Animal Slaughtering and Processing 0 00000 0 

312 Beverage and Tobacco Products 0 00000 0 

3121 Beverages 0 00000 0 3122 Tobacco 0 00000 0 

313 Textile Mills 9 0Q 0 0 0 0 314 Textile Product Mills 0 00000 0 

315 Apparel 0 00000 0 316 Leather and Allied Products 0 00000 0 

321 Wood Products 0 00000 0 

321113 Sawmills 0 00000 0 

3212 Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Woods 0 00000 0 

321219 Reconstituted Wood Products 0 00000 0 

3219 Other Wood Products 0 00000 0 

322 Paper 14 0 D D D 0 3 

322110 Pulp Mills 0 00000 0 

322121 Paper Mills, except Newsprint D 0DDD 0 D 

322122 Newsprint Mills 0 00000 0 322130 Paperboard Mills 7 0D 4 0 0 D 

323 Printing and Related Support 0 00000 0 

324 Petroleum and Coal Products D 0D 0 0 0 0 

324110 Petroleum Refineries 0 00000 0 

324121 Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block D 0D 0 0 0 0 

324122 Asphalt Shingle and Coating Materials 0 00000 0 

324191 Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Products 0 00000 0 

324199 Other Petroleum and Coal Products 0 00000 0 

325 Chemicals 4 0D 0D 0 D 

325110 Petrochemicals 0 00000 0 325120 Industrial Gases 0 00000 0 

325180 Other Basic Inorganic Chemicals 0 00000 0 

325193 Ethyl Alcohol D 00000 D 

325194 Cyclic Crudes, Intermediate and Gum and Wood Chemicals 0 00000 0 

325199 Other Basic Organic Chemicals D 0 0 0D 0 0 

325211 Plastics Materials and Resins 0 00000 0 325212 Synthetic Rubber 0 00000 0 

325220 Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments D 0D 0 0 0 0 

325311 Nitrogenous Fertilizers 0 00000 0 325312 Phosphatic Fertilizers 0 00000 0 

3254 Pharmaceuticals and Medicines 0 00000 0 

325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation 0 00000 0 

Levels of Price Difference that Would Cause a Switch from Coal(c)
325992 Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemicals 0 00000 0 

326 Plastics and Rubber Products 0 00000 0 

327 Nonmetallic Mineral Products 35 0 D 14 D D 10 

327120 Clay Building Material and Refractories 0 00000 0 

327211 Flat Glass 0 00000 0 

327212 Other Pressed and Blown Glass and Glassware 0 00000 0 

327213 Glass Containers 0 00000 0 

327215 Glass Products from Purchased Glass 0 00000 0 

327310 Cements 28 0 D 11 D D D 327410 Lime 7 0D 3 0 0 D 

327420 Gypsum 0 00000 0 

327993 Mineral Wool 0 00000 0 

331 Primary Metals D 0 0D 0 0 D 

331110 Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloys D 0 0D 0 0 D 

3312 Steel Products from Purchased Steel 0 00000 0 

3313 Alumina and Aluminum 0 00000 0 

331314 Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum 0 00000 0 

331315 Aluminum Sheet, Plate and Foils 0 00000 0 

331318 Other Aluminum Rolling, Drawing and Extruding 0 00000 0 

3314 Nonferrous Metals, except Aluminum 0 00000 0 

331410 Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining 0 00000 0 

3315 Foundries 0 00000 0 

331511 Iron Foundries 0 00000 0 

331523 Nonferrous Metal Die‐Casting Foundries 0 00000 0 

331524 Aluminum Foundries, except Die‐Casting 0 00000 0 

332 Fabricated Metal Products 0 00000 0 333 Machinery 0 00000 0 334 Computer and Electronic Products 0 00000 0 

334413 Semiconductors and Related Devices 0 00000 0 

335 Electrical Equip., Appliances, and Components 0 00000 0 336 Transportation Equipment 0 00000 0 

336111 Automobiles 0 00000 0 

336112 Light Trucks and Utility Vehicles 0 00000 0 

3364 Aerospace Product and Parts 0 00000 0 

336411 Aircraft 0 00000 0 

337 Furniture and Related Products 3 00000 3 

339 Miscellaneous Q 0Q 0 0 0 0 

Total 168 0 114 23 D D 23 

(a) The Bureau of the Census classifies establishments using the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

(b) This count includes only those establishments that reported this activity in 2018.

(c) These levels of price difference were guesstimates at which establishments perceived that they would switch. These levels were not actual values at which switching occurred. The percentage of price 

computed as the quantity of (current fuel price minus alternative fuel price) divided by the current fuel price, expressed as a percent.

* Estimate less than 0.5.

D=Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual establishments.

Q=Withheld because Relative Standard Error is greater than 50 percent.

NA=Not available.

Notes: Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. Establishment percent may not equal 100 percent because of unknown and/or unreported fuel‐switching guesstimat

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Demand and Integrated Statistics, Form EIA‐846, 2018 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey.

The Census Bureau has reviewed this data product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and has approved the disclosure avoidance practices applied (Approval ID: CBDRB‐FY20‐260).
Released: August 2021

Next MECS will be fielded in 2023.

RSE Table 10.16 Relative Standard Errors for Table 10.16;

Unit: Percents.

Would Not Estimate 

NAICS Establishments Switch Due 1 to 10 11 to 25 26 to 50 Over 50 Cannot 

Code(a) Subsector and Industry Able to Switch(b) to Price Percent Percent Percent Percent Be Provided 

Total United States

311 Food 0.7 X 0.0 D X X D 

3112 Grain and Oilseed Milling D X 0.0 D X X D 

311221 Wet Corn Milling D X D X X X X 

31131 Sugar Manufacturing D XXXXX D 

3114 Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food X XXXXX X 

3115 Dairy Product X XXXXX X 

3116 Animal Slaughtering and Processing X XXXXX X 

312 Beverage and Tobacco Products X XXXXX X 

3121 Beverages X XXXXX X 

3122 Tobacco X XXXXX X 

313 Textile Mills 47.7 X 59.8 X X X X 

314 Textile Product Mills X X X X X X X 315 Apparel X XXXXX X 316 Leather and Allied Products X X X X X X X 

321 Wood Products X XXXXX X 

321113 Sawmills X XXXXX X 

3212 Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Woods X XXXXX X 

321219 Reconstituted Wood Products X XXXXX X 

3219 Other Wood Products X XXXXX X 

322 Paper 0.0 X D D D X 0.0 

322110 Pulp Mills X XXXXX X 

322121 Paper Mills, except Newsprint D X D D D X D 322122 Newsprint Mills X X X X X X X 

322130 Paperboard Mills 0.0 X D 0.0 X X D 

323 Printing and Related Support X XXXXX X 

324 Petroleum and Coal Products D X D X X X X 

324110 Petroleum Refineries X X X X X X X 324121 Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block D XDX XX X 

324122 Asphalt Shingle and Coating Materials X XXXXX X 

324191 Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Products X XXXXX X 324199 Other Petroleum and Coal Products X XXXXX X 

325 Chemicals 0.0 X D X D X D 

325110 Petrochemicals X X X X X X X 

325120 Industrial Gases X X X X X X X 

325180 Other Basic Inorganic Chemicals X X X X X X X 

325193 Ethyl Alcohol D XXXXX D 

325194 Cyclic Crudes, Intermediate and Gum and Wood Chemicals X X X X X X X 

325199 Other Basic Organic Chemicals D XXXDX X 325211 Plastics Materials and Resins X X X X X X X 

325212 Synthetic Rubber X XXXXX X 

325220 Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments D X D X X X X 

325311 Nitrogenous Fertilizers X X X X X X X 

325312 Phosphatic Fertilizers X X X X X X X 

3254 Pharmaceuticals and Medicines X X X X X X X 

325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation X X X X X X X 325992 Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemicals X X X X X X X 

326 Plastics and Rubber Products X XXXXX X 

327 Nonmetallic Mineral Products 10.3 X D 10.5 D D 8.5 

327120 Clay Building Material and Refractories X X X X X X X 

327211 Flat Glass X XXXXX X 

Levels of Price Difference that Would Cause a Switch from Coal(c)
327212 Other Pressed and Blown Glass and Glassware X XXXXX X 

327213 Glass Containers X X X X X X X 

327215 Glass Products from Purchased Glass X X X X X X X 327310 Cements 15.4 X D 16.0 D D D 

327410 Lime 0.0 X D 0.0 X X D 

327420 Gypsum X XXXXX X 

327993 Mineral Wool X XXXXX X 

331 Primary Metals D XXD XX D 

331110 Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloys D X X D X X D 

3312 Steel Products from Purchased Steel X X X X X X X 

3313 Alumina and Aluminum X X X X X X X 

331314 Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum X X X X X X X 

331315 Aluminum Sheet, Plate and Foils X X X X X X X 

331318 Other Aluminum Rolling, Drawing and Extruding X XXXXX X 

3314 Nonferrous Metals, except Aluminum X X X X X X X 

331410 Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining X X X X X X X 

3315 Foundries X XXXXX X 

331511 Iron Foundries X XXXXX X 

331523 Nonferrous Metal Die‐Casting Foundries X XXXXX X 

331524 Aluminum Foundries, except Die‐Casting X X X X X X X 

332 Fabricated Metal Products X XXXXX X 333 Machinery X XXXXX X 334 Computer and Electronic Products X XXXXX X 

334413 Semiconductors and Related Devices X X X X X X X 

335 Electrical Equip., Appliances, and Components X XXXXX X 

336 Transportation Equipment X XXXXX X 

336111 Automobiles X XXXXX X 

336112 Light Trucks and Utility Vehicles X X X X X X X 

3364 Aerospace Product and Parts X XXXXX X 

336411 Aircraft X XXXXX X 

337 Furniture and Related Products 0.0 X X X X X 0.0 

339 Miscellaneous 98.8 X 98.8 X X X X 

Total 5.5 X 6.5 7.1 D D 4.2 

(a) The Bureau of the Census classifies establishments using the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

(b) This count includes only those establishments that reported this activity in 2018.

(c) These levels of price difference were guesstimates at which establishments perceived that they would switch. These levels were not actual values at which switching occurred. The percentage of price differ

computed as the quantity of (current fuel price minus alternative fuel price) divided by the current fuel price, expressed as a percent.

* Estimate less than 0.5.

D=Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual establishments.

Q=Withheld because Relative Standard Error is greater than 50 percent.

X=Not defined because RSE corresponds to a data table value of zero.

NA=Not available.

Notes: Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. Establishment percent may not equal 100 percent because of unknown and/or unreported fuel‐switching guesstimate.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Demand and Integrated Statistics, Form EIA‐846, 2018 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey.

The Census Bureau has reviewed this data product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and has approved the disclosure avoidance practices applied (Approval ID: CBDRB‐FY20‐260).