United States Holds Coal for 600 Years as Trump Backs Expansion

A United States Geological Survey (USGS) report finds that federally owned lands contain enough coal to meet national demand for at least 600 years, estimating 356 billion tons of recoverable reserves and about 4.2 billion tons near active mines. The Trump administration has used the data to launch a new energy‑security drive, signing an executive order in 2025 that designates coal as a strategic resource, earmarking $700 million for mine upgrades, new power‑plant construction, and a large export terminal on the West Coast. The plan seeks to revive the domestic coal industry, which produced 237 million metric tons in 2024 but now provides only about 15 % of the U.S. electricity mix, while natural gas accounts for 43 % and renewables and nuclear fill the remainder. Critics point out that the policy reverses recent climate‑action momentum, arguing it hampers renewable projects and freezes offshore wind permits. Federal officials, including the interior secretary, stress that the abundant reserves secure long‑term energy independence despite global decarbonisation trends.