Overview

• President Trump signed executive orders directing federal agencies to expand coal mining on public lands, reclassify coal as a mineral, and streamline permitting processes.
• The orders also instruct the Department of Justice to challenge state-level regulations and lawsuits that restrict coal development.
• Energy experts suggest that market dynamics, including cheaper and cleaner alternatives like natural gas and renewables, make a significant coal resurgence unlikely.
• Economic analyses highlight that reopening decommissioned coal plants is financially unsound due to high maintenance costs and aging infrastructure.
• Critics argue that the coal revival efforts are politically motivated, aiming to appeal to coal-country voters despite coal's declining role in U.S. energy production.