April 8, 2025 - President Trump on Tuesday is expected to sign an executive order aiming to bolster U.S. coal mining.

In the order, Trump will define coal as a “mineral,” allowing it to benefit from a previous executive order bolstering mining that — among other things — used presidential wartime authorities to expedite production.

That order also requires federal agencies to speed up approvals for mines and prioritize mining on federal lands — which may now extend to coal.

Under the new coal-specific order, the administration will also seek to exclude coal projects from environmental reviews. And it will direct the administration to prioritize coal production on federal lands

A White House fact sheet also says that the order pushes for coal to power artificial intelligence — but does not say how.

The order will also direct the Energy Department to weigh whether it should consider coal to be a “critical mineral” — which could grant it further preference under federal regulations. 

Trump has pledged to help the declining coal industry, describing the fossil fuel as “BEAUTIFUL” on social media. 

However, an increase in gas production — something Trump also supports — has been a major factor in coal’s decline over the years. 

Trump’s latest move received praise from the industry. Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, said in a written statement that Trump’s moves “clearly prioritize how to responsibly keep the lights on, recognize the enormous strategic value of American mined coal and embrace the economic opportunity that comes from American energy abundance.” 

Environmental activists criticized the order, saying it will increase pollution. Coal is also a major contributor to climate change and burning it is more carbon-intensive than other fuels, including gas.

“Coal kills. In the last two decades, nearly half a million Americans have died from exposure to coal pollution,” said Sierra Club executive director Ben Jealous in a written statement. “Donald Trump’s plan is as despicable as it is reckless and ill-conceived.”