US president Donald Trump signed four executive orders today aimed at increasing the country's coal production and use, including directing agencies to possibly expand access to federal land and use emergency authority to keep coal-fired power plants open.
The orders follow up on a pledge Trump made on 17 March to authorize his administration "to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL." At the time of Trump's social media post, the White House did not elaborate on his plans.
The executive orders signed today are primarily focused on US coal use and production. These include directing the chair of the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a "mineral" covered under a previous executive order signed in March that uses emergency power granted under the Federal Power Act to fast track permit reviews for critical mineral projects.
Today's orders also direct agencies to revoke policies that aim to move the US away from coal production or favor other generation resources over coal. This includes authorizing the Department of Justice to investigate state policies considered to be prejudicial against coal.
The orders also direct agencies to identify coal resources on federal land and prioritize coal leasing on those lands, and orders the Secretary of the Interior to make it clear that a moratorium on federal coal leasing that was initially in effect from 2016-17 and reinstated from 2022-24 is no longer active.
Trump also signed a proclamation allowing some coal plants to comply with a less stringent version of the EPA's mercury and air toxics standards for two years.
Another order signed today directs the Secretary of Energy to "streamline, systemize, and expedite processes for issuing emergency orders under the Federal Power Act during forecasted grid interruptions."
"We're slashing unnecessary regulations that targeted beautiful, clean coal" and "will end the government bias against coal", Trump said today before signing the orders at an event featuring coal miners and lawmakers from coal-producing states. The US is "going to produce energy the likes nobody has seen before."
He said his administration is going to devise a "guarantee" that will ensure the industry and investment in coal projects will be protected from "the ups and downs" of politics, but did not elaborate on what that would be.
Other parts of the orders have the Council of Environmental Quality assisting agencies in making some exclusions for coal under the National Environmental Policy Act, encourage coal-fired generation for artificial intelligence and call for the Secretary of Energy to consider whether coal used for steel production can be defined as a critical mineral.
The orders also aim to promote coal and coal technology exports, including by possibly facilitating international offtake agreements for US coal.
US coal exports rose in 2023 and 2024 but trading activity has faltered lately amid restrained steel production, limited coal-fired generation in some countries and uncertainty over recent tariffs and the US Trade Representatives proposal to charge Chinese-built and operated ships that do business in the US.
The National Mining Association praised Trump's actions.
"It's a stark shift from the prior administration's punitive regulatory agenda, hostile energy policies and unlawful land grabs," NMA chief executive officer Rich Nolan said before Trump signed the order.
But environmental group Sierra Club warned the order will be costly.
"Forcing coal plants to stay on line will cost Americans more, get more people sick with respiratory and heart conditions, and lead to more premature deaths," Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous said.
