As America enters a new era of energy leadership—and energy demand—the importance of coal has never been more apparent. With energy policies that are finally aligned with our energy reality, coal will continue to play a crucial role in ensuring affordable and reliable electricity for all Americans.
Strong Federal Support
The Trump administration has demonstrated a clear commitment to aggressively pursuing an energy abundance strategy. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the chairman of the new National Energy Dominance Council, and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright come to their new roles with deep experience with the energy sector and have pledged to “unleash” U.S. fossil fuel resources, aligning with the administration’s pro-energy agenda to bolster coal production. This leadership will help drive forward new initiatives that promote a more secure energy future, with coal as part of the foundation.
Building on the administration’s pro-energy momentum, Senator Shelley Moore Capito is taking the lead on legislative efforts to remove regulatory obstacles and promote coal as a foundational energy source. As the new chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, she reaffirmed her commitment to ‘unshackle American energy,’ including West Virginia’s coal industry, by eliminating excessive regulatory barriers and reversing Biden-era policies that harmed coal communities. Capito has pledged to work with the Trump administration to roll back costly environmental regulations, streamline permitting for energy infrastructure and restore investment in coal production. Under her leadership, the EPW Committee will play a central role in ensuring coal remains a pillar of America’s energy economy while promoting economic growth and grid reliability.
While Capito focuses on rolling back excessive regulations, Representative Harriet Hageman is tackling another critical challenge: ensuring access to federal coal reserves. Hageman recently introduced the COAL Act, which aims to force action on stalled coal leases. She has also strongly opposed the Bureau of Land Management’s plans to end new federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin — the single largest source of domestic coal production. By pushing back against restrictive policies, Hageman and other coal advocates are working to ensure that coal remains a vital part of the U.S. energy mix.
As efforts continue to secure coal’s future, Representative Troy Balderson is leading the charge to protect the reliability of coal-fired power generation. As chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT), he introduced legislation to nullify the Biden Administration’s Clean Power Plan 2.0, which would force the early retirement of coal-fired power plants. Balderson has also led efforts to block the EPA’s overreaching emissions regulations, arguing that they threaten grid reliability and economic stability. Building on his commitment to energy security, Balderson will reintroduce NMA-developed legislation, the Guaranteeing Reliable Infrastructure Development (GRID) Act, in the 119th Congress, with changes aimed at strengthening grid reliability and interagency coordination. He is working alongside freshman Representative Julie Fedorchak, former president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, to ensure the bill reflects the expertise of state regulators and prioritizes a stable, resilient energy grid. By pushing back against these policies and advancing solutions for grid stability, Balderson and other Congressional coal advocates are working to ensure that coal remains a dependable part of the U.S. energy mix.
Beyond regulatory attacks, coal producers also face financial discrimination from banks and lending institutions. Senator Kevin Cramer and Representative Andy Barr are leading the fight against discriminatory lending practices that unfairly target the coal and fossil fuel industries. Cramer reintroduced the NMA-backed Fair Access to Banking Act in the Senate, while Barr introduced companion legislation in the House to ensure that financial institutions make lending decisions based on risk—not politics. Their legislation builds on President Trump’s Fair Access Rule and pushes back against banks that have denied services to coal producers and oil and gas companies. As more states take action to protect fair access to financial services, Cramer and Barr’s leadership is critical in preventing financial discrimination and ensuring that America’s energy sector is treated fairly.
Key Policy Shifts
There is an urgent need to reverse the prior administration’s punitive energy policies. The Biden administration introduced a suite of power plant regulations—with the Clean Power Plan 2.0 central among them—which were specifically and strategically designed to force the closure of coal-fueled plants. As challenges to these damaging and unlawful rules work their way through the courts, the deadlines to comply with them remain in place, so action is needed from the Trump administration to reverse course before these valuable sources of electricity generation are permanently lost. The administration has already signaled it’s poised to do just that.
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has made the addition and preservation of baseload, dispatchable power a priority. His focus, working in concert with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is to bolster baseload, dispatchable energy, not take it away. Specific to the coal fleet, he said, the U.S. should stop the closure of coal plants, noting, “We are on a path to continually shrink the electricity we generate from coal … That has made electricity more expensive and our grid less stable.”
Coal: A Cornerstone of U.S. Industry
Coal remains a cornerstone of U.S. industry. Coal provides reliable, affordable energy, supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes significantly to local economies across the country. The coal sector’s economic impact extends beyond mining operations and power plants, to transportation, manufacturing and equipment supply.
Additionally, coal plays a critical role in ensuring energy security and providing fuel diversity to underpin the nation’s manufacturing sector. As a fuel-secure, dispatchable power source, coal provides a stable and predictable supply of electricity, which is essential for maintaining grid reliability. Again and again, coal generation has risen to the occasion to meet peak power demand during extreme winter and summer weather when other sources of energy—notably weather-dependent renewable sources of power—cannot.
Opportunities Shaping the Future of American Mining
Looking ahead, especially with the new administration in place, several opportunities are set to shape the future of the coal and mining industry, including:
- Realistic energy policies: New energy policies that recognize that the electrification of our transportation sector, increased use of AI and the demands of modern life have placed us firmly in an era of energy addition.
- Balanced land use policies: Efforts to ensure that our public lands are used for multiple purposes, including for coal leasing, as required by law.
- Global market demand: The demand for U.S. coal in international markets, particularly in countries seeking affordable and reliable energy sources, presents an ongoing opportunity.
By capitalizing on these opportunities, the coal industry can continue to drive economic growth, support local communities and contribute to a secure and reliable energy future for the United States.