The Department of the Interior has announced it will open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing, a move that significantly increases the amount of land available for coal development compared to previous benchmarks set by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This initiative is part of President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to promote American energy production and reduce reliance on foreign sources.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum signed the policy at an event dedicated to advancing what officials described as “Beautiful Clean Coal.” The announcement was supported by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Department of Energy Undersecretary P. Wells Griffith.
“President Trump promised to put American energy workers first, and today we’re delivering,” said Secretary Burgum. “By reducing the royalty rate for coal, increasing coal acres available for leasing, and unlocking critical minerals from mine waste, we are strengthening our economy, protecting national security, and ensuring that communities from Montana to Alabama benefit from good-paying jobs. Washington doesn’t build prosperity, American workers and entrepreneurs do, and we’re giving them the tools to succeed.”
The new policy follows two executive orders: Executive Order 14261 directs efforts to revitalize the U.S. coal industry; Executive Order 14241 focuses on increasing domestic mineral production. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management will make more federal land available for lease, lower royalty rates for coal producers in states such as Montana, Wyoming, and Tennessee, and streamline project approvals.
In addition to expanding access to coal resources, the Department is accelerating projects aimed at recovering valuable minerals like uranium and rare earth elements from mine waste sites. Secretary’s Order 3436 outlines collaboration with state agencies and the U.S. Geological Survey to map deposits at abandoned mines and fast-track recovery initiatives.
Ongoing lease sales under this program include developments at Freedom Mine and Falkirk Mine in North Dakota as well as expansions at Warrior Met, Skyline, Spring Creek, and West Antelope III mines. These projects are expected to yield hundreds of millions of tons of coal over several decades while a reduced royalty rate—now set at 7%—aims to keep U.S. producers competitive internationally.
According to department officials, these measures support an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy designed by the Trump administration with goals including reliable domestic supply chains and stable energy prices.
