Wyoming’s Coal Industry Cheers Trump’s Latest Decision

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a resolution overturning a Biden-era land management plan that had halted new federal coal leasing in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, reopening a long-running national debate over the future of coal, climate policy and Western energy communities.

Trump signed H.J. Res. 130 on Dec. 11, using the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Buffalo Resource Management Plan Amendment adopted under the Biden administration. That amendment directed the Bureau of Land Management’s Buffalo Field Office to adopt a “no new leasing” approach for federal coal — a move supporters said aligned with national climate goals and shifting energy markets.

With the resolution now law, the BLM must return to its 2015 resource management plan, restoring the option for future coal leasing across the region. Under the Congressional Review Act, the agency is also barred from issuing a substantially similar policy in the future, effectively preventing future administrations from reinstating the “no new leasing” alternative.

Wyoming’s Republican congressional delegation, which pushed the repeal, celebrated the decision as a win for the state’s economy. The Powder River Basin produces nearly half of the nation’s thermal coal, and lawmakers argued the Biden-era plan risked jobs, local revenue and U.S. energy security. The Trump administration called the repeal a key element of its “energy dominance agenda.”

But environmental groups and climate advocates sharply criticized the move, saying it reverses needed action in the face of a warming climate and a declining coal market. They also argued the 2015 plan fails to account for modern emissions targets or the economic realities facing coal-fired power plants.

“Restoring outdated leasing rules won’t change the fact that coal demand is falling,” said one regional conservation group in response to the signing. “This decision locks communities into uncertainty instead of helping them plan for what's next.”

Energy analysts note that even with leasing reopened, the long-term outlook for coal depends on market forces — including cheap natural gas, fast-growing renewables and utility retirements — rather than federal land policy alone.

The Powder River Basin, spanning northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana, remains the country’s top coal-producing region, though production has been steadily declining for more than a decade. The repeal ensures companies may once again apply for new federal coal leases, but whether they will is likely to be tested in the coming years.