The Department of the Interior Moves to Restore Coal Industry

Date: April 8, 2025
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior is reaffirming its commitment to the Trump administration’s goal of American Energy Dominance with a renewed focus on coal. Through an Executive Order by President Donald J. Trump, the Department will implement a series of bold policy moves and regulatory reforms to position coal as a cornerstone of the nation’s energy strategy by ensuring federally managed lands remain open and accessible for responsible energy development. 

“The Golden Age is here, and we are starting to ‘Mine, Baby, Mine’ for clean American coal,” said Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. “Interior is unlocking America’s full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America’s natural resources and innovation.” 

In support of the Trump administration's pursuit of Energy Dominance, the Department is actively working to revitalize the coal mining industry through a series of decisive actions. By expanding access to coal reserves, such as the recent approval of the Spring Creek mine expansion in Montana, and streamlining permitting processes, the administration is removing long-standing regulatory barriers that have undermined American coal production. These efforts support high-paying mining jobs and rural economies, while strengthening U.S. energy independence by reducing reliance on foreign energy sources. Coal is a critical component of a secure, stable and diversified American energy portfolio. 

Ending the coal leasing moratorium 

The Department will officially end its moratorium on federal coal leasing, a move that aligns with President Trump’s priority of “Unleashing American Energy” by reducing regulatory barriers and promoting energy independence. 

Over the past nine years, the status of actions related to a federal coal leasing moratorium has been left unclear. In 2016, President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell ordered the BLM to pause coal leasing on public lands, with a few exceptions, while the BLM completed an environmental review. In 2017, President Trump’s Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, revoked the order. In 2021, President Biden’s Secretary Deb Haaland rescinded Zinke’s order but did not reinstate the coal leasing moratorium or environmental review. In 2024, a federal appeals court ruled that the 2021 Haaland order reversed the Zinke order, while also ending the moratorium. The court said all actions after the Haaland order were moot and ordered all other court cases dismissed.  

To provide clarity and certainty to the nation, the Bureau of Land Management is publishing a notice in the Federal Register that it will not perform an environmental impact statement, or any other environmental analysis of the federal coal leasing program connected to an order from former Secretary Sally Jewell, effectively and finally ending the last remaining open item related to the leasing moratorium. 

Reopening federal lands in Montana and Wyoming to coal leasing 

In further support of coal leasing, the BLM will pursue the amendment process to the Buffalo and Miles City resource managements plans in Wyoming and Montana. Under the current plans, future coal leasing is heavily restricted, making it much harder for new federal coal projects to get off the ground. Over time, these plans could significantly reduce the availability of federal coal reserves in two of the country’s biggest coal-producing regions. By revising these plans, Interior would create a path forward to access untapped federal coal reserves, especially in high-production areas like the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. 

Removing regulatory burdens for coal mines 

In accordance with Secretary’s Order 3418, Unleashing American Energy, the Office of Surface Mining and Enforcement will undertake a rulemaking process to revise the Ten-Day Notice Rule of 2024 to largely revert to the 2020 version of the rule, while retaining certain portions of the 2024 rule. This rule making process will help reduce burdensome federal oversight and give more power to the states on how to handle complaints about coal mining violations. By removing some of federal overreach of the 2024 rule, the Department will trust states to do their jobs while avoiding unnecessary federal interference and providing stability to the coal industry.  

Providing royalty rate relief 

The Department is poised to streamline and speed up the process for reviewing coal producers’ requests to temporarily lower the amount they pay the federal government for extracting coal from public lands. Lower royalty rates can help keeps mines open and maintain local tax revenue.  

By expediting royalty relief requests, Interior aims to make it easier for coal operators to stay in business, which supports stable domestic energy production and maximizes long-term resource recovery from federal lands.  

As the Department works through the actions above to support the coal industry by continuing to roll back unnecessary regulatory burdens, Interior will advance responsible coal development, high-paying job creation and long-term energy security by opening access to America’s vast energy resources. 

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