Trump hopes to boost coal industry with executive order
FULL REMARKS: President Trump signs energy order
U.S. President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Tuesday that aim to boost coal production in his latest action. Coal-burning plants generate less than 20% of U.S. electricity, a drop from 50% in 2000, according to the Energy Information Administration, as fracking and other drilling techniques have hiked production of natural gas. Growth in solar and wind power has also cut coal use.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders Tuesday aimed at boosting coal as an energy source.
Here’s a look at how coal energy stacks up in the U.S.:
What is coal?
Coal is a type of sedimentary rock that was formed from plant remains that have compacted, hardened and altered over time. It is found all over the world.
Coal is a reliable but polluting energy source, and the industry has been in decline for decades.
Big picture view:
The U.S. coal industry relies heavily on reserves on public lands in the West, particularly the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana.
By the numbers:
The U.S. has some of the largest coal reserves in the world — enough to last more than 400 years at current mining rates, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Meanwhile:
Demand for coal is growing globally, especially in Asia where economies are expanding. U.S. coal companies have sought to capitalize on that growth by exporting more coal.
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Which states produce the most coal energy?
FILE - Strong winds carry coal dust from a coal pile at the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado, on February 4, 2025. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/ MediaNews Group/ The Denver Post via Getty Images)
By the numbers:
In 2022, about 594,155 thousand short tons of coal were produced in 21 states, with these five producing the most:
- Wyoming: 244,730, or 41.2%
- West Virginia: 83,448, or 14.0%
- Pennsylvania: 39,701, or 6.7%
- Illinois: 37,488, or 6.3%
- Kentucky: 28,527, or 4.8%
Energy sources in the United States
In the U.S., coal is the third most used energy source, falling behind natural gas and nuclear.
By the numbers:
Fossil fuels account for 60% of energy generation in the U.S., followed by renewables at 21% and nuclear at 19%.
Big picture view:
The United States is experiencing a surging demand for electricity from a rise in manufacturing, electric vehicles, and the massive data centers needed for artificial intelligence.
Which states produce the most energy?
Texas is the largest driver of energy in the U.S., according to the latest data available from 2022, producing 1.8 million barrels of oil and 10.8 million cubic feet of natural gas in 2022.
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Trump’s executive order on coal
What's next:
The executive order allows older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to stay in production, identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands.
What they're saying:
"All those plants that have been closed are going to be opened, if they're modern enough, or they'll be ripped down and brand new ones will be built, and we're going to put the miners back to work," Trump said Tuesday when signing the executive order. "And I said I was going to do this, and I've said it loud and clear, and it's time to do it now."
The Source: Information about coal production and energy sources in the United States was taken from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, an official government entity. Other background information was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.