CHEYENNE –– At the request of President Donald Trump, Gov. Mark Gordon joined the nation’s Chief Executive, Cabinet Secretaries Doug Burgum and Chris Wright, Wyoming’s Congressional Delegation, and energy industry leaders in the East Room of the White House Tuesday for the signing of executive orders that will strengthen Wyoming’s energy industry while demonstrating America’s commitment to domestic energy.
“This is a great day for Wyoming coal,” Gordon said. “We produce more coal than any other state in the nation. These executive orders will be impactful for our state’s coal industry and will help ensure Wyoming coal is available to help meet our nation’s growing energy demand. I thank President Trump for his work in freeing our country from the unnecessarily burdensome regulations imposed on the coal industry by the Biden Administration.”
The President’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Orders direct agencies to remove barriers to coal mining on federal lands and both streamline and prioritize coal leasing. It also designates coal as a “mineral” under a previous executive order, which will accelerate the permitting process for new mines on federal lands.
The orders also promote coal and coal technology exports and encourage development of coal technologies, work that has been ongoing in Wyoming through the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources. The SER’s Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion is focused on supporting the future of Wyoming coal and creating economic development & diversification opportunities.
“Supporting our coal industry will increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies” President Trump said.
Gordon noted that the coal industry supports approximately 5,000 direct jobs in Wyoming, and that the state supplies coal for electricity for almost 50% of the mainland United States. The actions taken by President Trump will help preserve those jobs and reflect a commitment to domestic energy development, Gordon said.
Over the past three years, 17 power plants in 11 states have announced closure deferrals. In 2024, these 17 power plants consumed 30.5 million tons of Wyoming coal, with the state collecting more than $90 million in revenue in royalties.
