State of Montana Newsroom
Gov. Gianforte, State Agencies Advocate for Coal Power
Urges Trump administration to continue support for coal power
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today joined the Montana Departments of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) in urging the Trump administration to keep expanding coal production to increase the supply of affordable and reliable power for Montanans.
In a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the governor urged the agency to maximize the availability of federal coal in the Miles City Field Office (MCFO) region.
“Montana possesses vast coal reserves that are critical, not only to our state’s economic prosperity, but also to the nation’s energy security,” Gov. Gianforte wrote. “President Donald J. Trump and his Administration have taken great steps to supercharge America’s coal industry after years of attacks. BLM should help fulfill this presidential directive by maximizing the availability of federal coal throughout the MCFO region.”
In accordance with President Trump’s recent executive orders to unleash American energy production, the BLM is revising the Biden-era MFCO Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA). In the letter, Gov. Gianforte commends the Trump administration on its leadership to reverse the damage inflicted on consumers after years of President Biden’s attacks on coal.
Under the Biden administration, future coal leases in eastern Montana were prohibited through 2038. In comments for DEQ, Director Sonja Nowakowski pointed to the negative consequences of reducing coal production.
“If new federal coal leases are precluded, there are significant, potential impacts on the future operation of coal mines that supply Montana-based generating resources,” Dir. Nowakowski wrote. “Coal-fired generation remains a significant component of Montana’s electricity supply mix. As such, DEQ believes a preferred alternative must recognize the need for a reliable supply of coal to meet Montana’s energy needs and allow for mines to continue operation.”
DNRC Deputy Director Erin Weisgerber underscored the relationship between coal production on federal lands and state trust lands, highlighting the impact to Montana’s K-12 public education system.
“DNRC is responsible for ensuring that the State fulfills this constitutional mandate through the management of State trust lands,” Deputy Dir. Weisgerber wrote. “The State coal tracts within the MCFO area account for an estimated 95 percent of the State’s mineable coal reserves.”
Deputy Dir. Weisgerber continued, “Therefore, any limitation to coal leasing in the MCFO will have a direct impact to the funding of public education and other public institutions in Montana, that will be felt by students, parents, and teachers. Impacts to State trust lands must be taken into account as BLM considers amendments to the RMP out of respect to our state constitution.”
In July, the governor urged to pass Senate Joint Resolution 61 (S.J.Res.61) and House Joint Resolution 104 (H.J.Res.104) which would overturn the Biden-era BLM amendment to the MCFO RMPA. Senator Steve Daines, R-MT, introduced S.J.Res.61 and Congressman Troy Downing, R-MT-2, introduced H.J.Res.104 on July 10.
The RMPA as amended by the Biden administration would remove more than 338 million tons of federal coal in Montana from leasing consideration and would isolate all of Montana’s State trust land coal reserves, amounting to a loss of over $4 billion in future revenue to State trust land beneficiaries, which include K-12 public education in Montana.
In April, Gov. Gianforte joined President Donald J. Trump at the White House to celebrate executive orders signed by the president aimed at unleashing American energy and supporting Montana’s coal industry.
One executive order directed the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a mineral and require federal agencies to rescind any anti-coal policies to expand coal production to meet growing energy demands.
The letter from the governor and state agencies may be viewed here.
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