The Biden-Harris administration announced a significant decision to block new mining in a key region that produces almost half of the nation’s coal over climate change concerns. However, this decision could be short-lived as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to make U.S. energy dominance a critical focus of his incoming administration.
President Biden’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently approved an amendment to the Resource Management Plan (RMP) to ban any new federal coal leases and make “48.12 billion short tons of coal unavailable for leasing consideration in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a proxy for climate change,” said Todd D. Yeager, BLM Buffalo field manager.
The decision will block any new federal mining leases in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, the country’s most significant coal-producing region, by 2041. The region produces around 40% of the nation’s coal. However, BLM will allow existing coal leases to still be developed.
Trump’s transition team, in a statement, reinforced the president-elect’s campaign promise to boost American-made energy.
“Families have suffered under the past four years’ war on American energy, which prompted the worst inflation crisis in a generation. Voters re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, including lowering energy costs for consumers,” said Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt then added that when Trump assumes office, he “will make America energy dominant again, protect our energy jobs, and bring down the cost of living for working families.”
The Powder River Basin lease ban covers parts of northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana and includes making over 1.7 million acres unavailable for coal leasing within the Miles City Field Office planning area.
The BLM memo claimed the “U.S. energy market is moving away from coal to lower-priced natural gas and renewable energy sources.” However, the affected state representatives say the region is a crucial natural energy resource.
Biden’s decision widely criticized
The decision was widely criticized by Wyoming and Montana elected officials, including Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana, who said he would introduce legislation to reverse the decision. “…Eastern Montana is rich in coal and mining operations, and the jobs and coal produced in the Powder River Basin help support our national security, bolster our energy grid, and create high-paying jobs.”
“Once again, the Biden-Harris administration is ignoring states and crippling our energy supply,” said GOP Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana in a statement. “While Montana supports an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy, the White House is picking winners and losers on the president’s way out the door. Simply put, this rule will destroy coal jobs and defund public education in Montana. It’s a disaster.”
“After the American people issued a stunning rebuke to President Biden, he continues to punish Wyoming communities,” said Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming in a statement. “I will work with President Trump and his team to reverse this and other midnight regulations.”
The memo from the BLM said the administration is blocking coal leasing to support President Biden’s target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, suggesting “that the U.S. energy market is moving away from coal to lower-priced natural gas and renewable energy sources.”
Environmental justice group Earth Justice also claims the mining bans stemmed from an evolving energy production approach.
“Coal has powered our nation for many decades, but technology, economics, and markets are changing radically. BLM’s announcement recognizes that coal’s era is ending. It’s time to focus on supporting our communities through the transition away from coal, investing in workers, and moving to heal our lands, waters, and climate as we enter a bright, clean energy future,” said Paula Antoine, Western Organization of Resource Councils board chair, in an Earth Justice press release after Joe Biden announced his initial plans in May.
