» For the place in California, see Lignite, California. Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad, is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat. It's considered the lowest rank of coal; it's primarily mined in Russia, the United States, Australia and many European countries, and it's used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation. Up to 50% of Greece's electricity and 25% of Germany's co… (More on Lignite)