(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday approved expansion of coal mining in Montana, marking the second largest coal expansion since President Donald Trump took office in January as 33.75 million tons of federal coal will be recovered, 300 jobs ensured, and a million homes powered by the decision.
The Heritage Foundation’s director of the center for energy, climate, and the environment Diana Furchtgott-Roth told The Center Square that “coal produces the energy for about 16% of the nation’s electricity, and more coal means more reliable, less expensive energy.”
“It’s a hot summer, and people don’t want blackouts, they want to crank up their AC,” Furchtgott-Roth said.
“The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has warned of blackouts this year due to lack of baseload power – power that works continuously, irrespective of whether the sun shines or the wind blows,” Furchtgott-Roth said. “Coal is cheap to store and produces reliable baseload power at low cost.”
Furchtgott-Roth said “demand for energy is increasing due to data centers and AI.”
“Renewables need backup and are not dependable for producing the energy we need,” Furchtgott-Roth said, including solar and wind energy.
“Coal, along with oil, natural gas, and nuclear power, is an important part of the mix,” Furchtgott-Roth said.
An Interior Department news release said that its newly announced mining plan modification is located in Rosebud Mine in Rosebud and Treasure counties, Montana.
The release stated that the decision to expand coal mining “enables the recovery of approximately 33.75 million tons of federal coal and extends the mine’s operation through 2039.”
Additionally, “the approval from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement ensures more than 300 high-paying jobs and strengthens Montana’s economy, while advancing the Trump administration’s commitment to American Energy Dominance.”
“Coal from the Rosebud Mine powers the Colstrip and Rosebud power plants, which together can generate more than 1,500 megawatts of electricity – enough to power well over a million homes,” the release said.
“This energy helps deliver affordable and reliable power to American families and businesses across the region,” the release said.
The Interior Department’s move “marks the second-largest federal coal mine expansion approved since the beginning of the second Trump administration,” the release said.
When reached, the Department of the Interior told The Center Square: “we don’t have anything additional to add than what was already in the news release.”
Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Adam Suess said in the release: “This administration is focused on unleashing American energy, creating good-paying jobs and restoring economic certainty for our communities.”
“By responsibly developing our domestic coal resources, we’re reducing reliance on foreign energy, strengthening national security and powering America’s future,” Suess said.
The release said that expanding coal mining is consistent with Trump’s executive orders “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production” and “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” as well as Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum’s “focus on energy independence, rural prosperity and permitting certainty.”
The release stated that projected annual royalties from the expansion “to be paid to the federal government are over $9 million.”
As the Center Square previously reported, the Department of the Interior recently ended preferential treatment for the “unreliable” wind and solar energy as well as made changes to advance energy dominance and promote U.S. energy production in gas, oil, coal, and more.