Stauber Applauds Trump’s Executive Order to Reinvigorate Coal Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) made the following statement after attending the Unleashing American Energy Event at the White House, where President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to reinvigorate America’s coal industry.
“Coal is one of the most reliable and abundant sources of energy available to us, yet the previous administration did nearly everything in their power to eliminate the coal industry,” said Representative Stauber. “I applaud President Trump for taking decisive action to end Biden’s war on coal and boost America’s energy independence. This Executive Order represents a significant victory for American miners, many of whom are returning to work, and for American consumers, who will benefit from lower energy prices soon. The Golden Age of America is truly underway.”
President Trump’s Executive Order on coal does the following:
- Designates coal as a critical mineral.
- Directs agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining, and prioritize coal leasing on these lands.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge the end of the Jewell Moratorium, which paused coal leasing on federal lands.
- Requires agencies to rescind any agency policy that seeks to transition the nation away from coal production.
- Directs CEQ to assist agencies in adopting coal-related categorical exclusions under NEPA.
- Seeks to promote coal and coal technology exports, facilitate international offtake agreements for U.S. coal, and accelerate development of coal technologies.
- Calls the Secretary of Energy to determine whether coal used in the production of steel meets the definition of a “critical mineral” and “critical material” under the Energy Act of 2020, and if so, add it to the relevant lists.
- Pushes for using coal to power new artificial intelligence (AI) data.
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