Trump Revives Coal With Executive Order as Gianforte, Montana Leaders Rally Behind Industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald J. Trump signed a sweeping executive order Monday aimed at revitalizing America’s coal industry, prompting praise from Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and potentially signaling new hope for operations like the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 near Roundup.

The executive order, formally titled “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry and Amending Executive Order 14241,” directs federal agencies to:

• Reclassify coal as a “mineral” under energy dominance initiatives.
• Identify and prioritize coal deposits on federal lands.
• Expedite permitting and leasing for coal mining.
• Promote domestic coal use and exports.
• Rescind policies that restrict coal development in favor of alternative energy sources.
• Account for rising power demands from manufacturing and artificial intelligence data centers.

“America is the world’s treasure trove of clean, high-quality coal — and Montana is a key part of that story,” President Trump said during the signing ceremony. “We will no longer allow radical ideologues to strangle our energy lifeblood.”

Governor Gianforte, who attended the event at the White House, praised the executive action as a turning point for states like Montana.

“Coal keeps the lights on in Montana,” Gianforte said. “President Trump’s action pulls the plug on Biden’s failed energy policies, lowers costs, and restores our national security. Montanans are ready to power America again.”

Gianforte also announced the formation of a new Unleashing Energy Task Force to chart a long-term strategy for the state’s energy development.

The governor directly criticized former President Joe Biden’s energy agenda, citing a 30% spike in energy costs under his administration. He pointed to the May 2024 federal Resource Management Plan Amendment, which barred future coal leases in eastern Montana through 2038, and a suite of Environmental Protection Agency rules targeting the Colstrip power plant — policies Gianforte said would have cost Montana consumers $1.1 billion over two decades.

Colstrip, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the western U.S., employs approximately 360 Montanans at the plant and another 370 at the adjacent Rosebud Mine. Operated by Westmoreland, the mine produces 6–8 million tons of coal annually to supply the plant’s four generating units — enough to power nearly 500,000 homes.

The executive order also comes on the heels of efforts by Montana Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy to preserve operations at the Bull Mountains Mine, which employs over 200 workers near Roundup. As Western Montana News reported in March, the senators urged federal officials to resolve regulatory barriers that put the mine and its workforce at risk.

With Montana holding the largest estimated recoverable coal reserves in the country, the state’s leaders see the Trump administration’s moves as a direct opportunity to stabilize and expand the local coal sector.