A new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that there is enough coal under federally managed lands to see the nation through the next 600 years. There are believed to be 4.2 billion short tons of coal reserves with active mines and another 356 billion short tons of available coal.
Wyoming produces the greatest amount of annual coal in the United States, with fourteen mines, followed by Colorado, North Dakota, Utah, Alabama, and Montana. Alaska also has “substantial quantities” of coal, the USGS report explains, estimating that the state has “at least 140 billion short tons of identified available coal resources but may ultimately have as much as 5.5 trillion short tons of coal resource.”
Of the 34 mines on federal land, 29 produce thermal coal for electricity generation, three produce metallurgical coal for steelmaking, one produces coal for cement production, and one is idled.
“American Energy Dominance is more important than ever, and so is beautiful clean coal’s role in the production of electricity needed to fuel our future prosperity,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Thanks to the USGS’s rigorous and independent assessment, we’re better equipped to manage America’s vast public lands responsibly while supporting energy security and economic opportunity.”
Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order linking the coal industry to national security. “Given our Nation’s vast coal resources and the proven reliability of our coal-fired generation fleet in providing continuous, on-demand baseload power, it is imperative that the Department of War (DOW) prioritize the preservation and strategic utilization of coal-based energy assets,” the order explains. “Coal generation ensures that military installations, command centers, and defense-industrial bases remain fully powered under all conditions — including natural disasters, or wartime contingencies. Maintaining this capability is a matter of national security, strategic deterrence, and American energy dominance.”
