Fedorchak joins National Energy Dominance Council for Advancing America’s Beautiful Clean Coal event

"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."

"Americans are suffering because the past administration attempted to apply heavy-handed regulations to coal and other forms of energy it deemed unfavorable. It is time to restore common sense to the programs and regulations we use to protect human health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Zeldin. "Beautiful clean coal has been a reliable energy source supporting American communities and economic growth for generations. We can improve air quality in our national parks and protect our waterways while simultaneously unleashing domestic energy and reducing costs for American families."

"Beautiful, clean coal will be essential to powering America's reindustrialization and winning the AI race," U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said. "These funds will help keep our nation's coal plants operating and will be vital to keeping electricity prices low and the lights on without interruption. Coal built the greatest industrial engine the world has ever known, and with President Trump's leadership, it will help do so again."

BACKGROUND:

During the event, Secretary Burgum announced the opening of 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing, tripling the benchmarks set by the Working Families Tax Cuts plan. The Bureau of Land Management is also streamlining approvals for projects and lowering royalty rates to 7 percent so producers can better compete in global markets while sustaining revenues for taxpayers. Under the Working Families Tax Cuts plan, lease sales are already underway, including projects at Freedom Mine and Falkirk Mine in North Dakota.

Administrator Zeldin announced that EPA will provide steam electric power generation with more time to comply with existing effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) to affordably meet the nation's growing electricity demand, including for data centers and manufacturing. The agency is also requesting information on the viability of compliance pathways that may disincentivize continued coal combustion, and technology-based implementation challenges related to the 2024 ELG rule. When implemented, the proposal will save up to $200 million annually in electricity costs, provide reliable and low-cost baseload energy, boost industrial competitiveness, and make America a leader in Artificial Intelligence.

Additionally, EPA is issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to solicit information from the public to assist in the development of regulatory changes on the implementation and structure of the Clean Air Act (CAA)'s Regional Haze Rule (RHR). EPA is seeking input regarding how the agency can meaningfully revise the RHR to streamline regulatory requirements impacting states' visibility improvement obligations under the Clean Air Act, ensuring it reflects Congressional intent and recent improvements in air quality.

The Department of Energy committed to providing $625 million in funding, including:

• $350M for Coal Recommissioning, and Retrofit: for projects to demonstrate readiness to recommission or modernize coal power units and provide near-term electric power reliability and capacity.

• $175M for Rural Capacity and Energy Affordability Projects: for coal power projects that provide direct benefits of energy affordability, reliability, and resiliency in rural communities.

• $50M to support the Development and Implementation of Advanced Wastewater Management Systems: to demonstrate scalable, cost-effective wastewater management systems that enables coal plants to extend their service life, reduce operational costs, and enhance commercial byproduct recovery.

• $25M for Engineering and Implementation of Dual Firing Retrofits: to enable coal power plants to seamlessly switch between fuels, achieve full steam capacity, and economic flexibility to extend plant lifespans.

• $25M for Development and Testing of Natural Gas Cofiring Systems: to support investments that will maintain boiler efficiency and reliability when utilizing 100 percent natural gas.

  ###