Today, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders directing the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Energy to eliminate federal red tape that has impeded the American coal industry for years. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

"As America's energy demand grows exponentially, we must ensure we are using all of the tools in our toolbox to keep the lights on. Coal remains an important part of that energy equation, and no one produces it cleaner and more responsibly than we do. Today's executive orders are a critical step in ensuring America is strategically positioned to meet our rising energy demands and continue our growth into the AI and technology-driven future our economy requires."

Background

Today, the president signed four executive orders to revitalize the American coal industry. The orders will designate coal as a critical mineral, direct agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on those lands. Additionally, the orders will end the moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands and instruct the Council on Environmental Quality to work to advance coal-related categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act.