April 11, 2025 - Texas Congressman Dan Meuser, who co-chairs the Congressional Coal Caucus, joined President Donald J. Trump at the White House Tuesday as he signed an executive order “aimed at restoring America’s clean coal industry and reestablishing American energy dominance,” a news release from the lawmaker’s office said.

“President Trump continues to lead with bold action to make the United States energy dominant once again,” said Meuser, according to the news release. “Today’s Executive Order marks a major step forward for clean coal and for the future of American energy. It reverses the damaging and ideological policies of the Biden Administration and opens the door for job creation, grid reliability, and economic growth — particularly here in Pennsylvania.”

Dan Meuser

According to Meuser’s office, the executive order directs the National Energy Dominance Council to classify coal as a “mineral” to expand its federal benefits, directs agencies to lift restrictions and prioritize leasing of coal resources on federal lands, rescinds anti-coal policies and mandates that unfairly favor intermittent energy sources, recognizes clean coal as a strategic resource and accelerates development of coal technologies, promotes U.S. clean coal exports and encourages international offtake agreements and directs a review of coal’s role in the steel industry as a “critical material” under federal law, among other measures.

“Coal is a cornerstone of our national energy mix, producing 16% of our nation’s electricity, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and contributing tens of billions of dollars annually to our economy,” the news release said. “As electricity demand rises due to AI expansion and domestic manufacturing growth, clean coal will be vital to keeping the lights on and prices low. It is also important to note that with the development of new technologies, coal-fired electricity generation is cleaner than ever, particularly when produced in the United States compared to foreign countries. … Critically, anthracite coal — found in abundance in Pennsylvania — is essential to steel production, a sector vital to our national defense and infrastructure. … In Pennsylvania alone, the industry produced 42.6 million tons of coal in 2023, contributing to making the Commonwealth the third-largest electricity producer in the U.S. Further, clean coal in Pennsylvania supports over 11,500 jobs and generates $3.8 billion in economic output.”

“President Trump is delivering real results for American workers, families, and businesses,” Meuser continued, according to the news release. “His executive order embraces an all-of-the-above and all-of-the-below energy policy–one that values American oil and natural gas, nuclear, clean coal, hydropower, and more. This is the only realistic path to true energy dominance.”

Today’s action “builds on a series of strong energy reforms under President Trump,” the news release said. including withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, reversing the pause on LNG export permits and cutting red tape to fast-track permitting for energy projects, among other initiatives.

“The Biden Administration waged an all-out regulatory war on clean coal — imposing regulations like Clean Power Plan 2.0, costly wastewater mandates, and mercury mandates designed to force plant closures,” Meuser said, according to the news release. “President Trump is now reversing course and restoring balance to our energy policy.”