Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on the Biden administration's record on federal coal leasing, which threatens the long-term viability of production on federal lands. Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) issued the following statement in response: 

"Coal is a necessary component of an all of the best energy mix, and critical to providing affordable and reliable power to Americans. We should mine our vast coal resources here in America using American workers and technology instead of importing from abroad. The Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee will continue to hold the Biden Administration accountable for their war on mining, be it for coal or critical minerals."

Background

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for coal leasing on more than 570 million acres of federal land. Coal mining and mine reclamation are regulated by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Consequently, the Biden administration's policy decisions have a major impact on federal coal production across the country. 

Coal is a critical contributor to one of the key aspects of a modern energy grid: reliability. The global energy shortage of 2021 was exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, culminating in a spike in energy prices and demand both in the U.S. and abroad. The need for affordable baseload power will only increase as more intermittent energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are added to the grid. Increasing the percentage of renewables in the energy sector will require substantial, ongoing baseload power to avoid blackouts and brownouts.

Despite these facts, the Biden administration has taken repeated action to halt and hinder coal production on federal lands. These anti-energy decisions have created major uncertainty for operators and coal communities alike and have jeopardized our nation's energy reliability, thousands of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in revenue across the U.S. 

Today's hearing provided an opportunity for members to learn more about the need for federal coal operations and the important role that coal play in providing reliable, affordable energy to Americans and our allies. To learn more, click here.