The National Mining Association (NMA) issued the following statement from Rich Nolan, NMA president and CEO, on the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s decision to ban new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, which is located in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana..
“At a time of deteriorating grid reliability, soaring electricity demand and ongoing concern about global energy shocks, proposing a plan of no new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin is outrageous. This damages American energy security and affordability and is a severe economic blow to mining states and communities. The NMA strongly opposes this political move, not only because it ignores the nation’s continued need for federal coal but because it also fails to acknowledge BLM’s multiple use mandate under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.”
Wisconsin Public Media reported that the BLM’s decision is in response to a 2022 court order. If the proposal goes through, coal mining will likely end in the region by 2041 when existing leases expire. Anyone who has previously participated in the planning process that led to the proposal has until June 17 to file a protest.
Wyoming is the country’s biggest coal producer, accounting for about 41% of national supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Sources: National Mining Association and Wisconsin Public Media