We hope you are reading this column on the sidelines of the West Virginia Coal Show 2025 as you take in the vendors at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center in West Virginia’s capital city. If you are, we welcome you to our second-ever expo and hope you have a great event – if you find myself or any of the SEMCO staff, let us know you’re a NAM reader!
If you’re also listening to the speakers from our co-located event, the West Virginia Coal Association Symposium, please enjoy and make sure to tell the WVCA what a great job they’ve done for this, their 51st conference.
If you’ve liked your time in Charleston, we hope you’ll join us once again for the third WV Coal Show in April 2026.
One thing we’ve been very proud of these last couple of years is the sight of everyone who considers mining, and in this case, coal mining in Appalachia specifically, the heart of who they are. Those who want to see the best for the entire mining community and, at the same time, safely make a little more money than they did yesterday and keep moving forward. Call it whatever you want, but the members of this group of professionals and front-line miners are a different breed and we’re glad to help bring together the best of the best for some great one-on-one networking opportunities.
This year’s events are kicking off as things begin to loosen up on the regulatory and political front, and while the following isn’t Appalachian news it is great news nonetheless, so we wanted to share it with you.
In the days before press time, we learned that the newly installed Trump administration has approved a plan to expand the Spring Creek coal mine in Big Horn County, Mont., according to Reuters. The expansion will allow 39.9 million tons of coal to be mined over the next 16 years.
The approval marks a victory for the mine, which has sought to increase production for nearly 20 years. Its expansion plans were stymied by a court order mandating a fresh federal environmental review in 2021. That analysis, noted the news agency, was published in January.
“By expanding access to our nation’s rich coal resources, we are not only bolstering our economy but also reinforcing our energy independence,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Walter Cruickshank.
Spring Creek is operated by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC), which is wholly owned by the Navajo Nation. NTEC purchased the coal mine in 2019 from bankrupt Cloud Peak Energy. Spring Creek supplies coal domestically to Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Washington, as well as internationally to Japan and South Korea.
I’m excited to share more news like this in this letter, and throughout the pages of North American Mining magazine, in the issues to come. I’ve long held the belief that we are responsible for sharing the best about this industry, and you have my commitment to continue doing so.
Have some breaking news? Know of a new equipment deal? Are you a mine site with a work-changing upgrade thanks to a knowledgeable supplier? Never hesitate to share it with us at [email protected] so we can get that positive news to our readers. Until next month, work safe.
Donna Schmidt
Editor, North American Mining magazine
[email protected]
X: @Dschmidt_NAM