April 21, 2025 - Allies and stakeholders, along with a host of state officials, have praised a recent series of executive orders from the Trump administration aimed at supporting and revitalizing the coal industry.

Signed during a ceremony attended by Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the members of West Virginia’s all-Republican congressional delegation, Trump signed orders to: Reinvigorate the “Beautiful Clean Coal Industry;” prevent regulatory overreach by state governments; and strengthen the reliability of the national electric grid.

“These executive orders are a direct investment in America’s energy future and in the communities that have long powered our nation,” Trump said during the event.

Coal Association President Chris Hamilton said the orders represent a sea change for the industry.

“We are deeply grateful to President Trump, Energy Secretary Wright, Secretary Burgum, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for their leadership in rolling back these anti-coal regulations,” he said. “For years, our industry has faced undue pressure from excessive regulatory measures that have led to job loss and stifled industry growth and innovation. Today’s announcement marks a crucial shift towards a more balanced approach to energy development. We believe this will not only benefit our state but also contribute to a stronger national energy policy.”

The orders recognize “the critical role coal miners have played — and continue to play — in powering our nation,” said UMWA President Cecil Roberts.

“This executive action represents a welcome and much-needed step forward for our members and their communities. We believe it will help maintain coal miners’ jobs for several years to come and can offer a meaningful short-term solution to the decline in coal employment.”

Roberts encouraged Trump to take additional actions to support coal miners and coal-producing regions.

“Coal miners and their communities need more than a temporary reprieve. We want coal workers to have good, stable jobs not just for the next four years, but for the next 40,” he said. “That future must be built with sustainable policy, investment in new technologies like carbon capture and storage, and support for the economic diversification of coal-producing regions. The UMWA stands ready to work with the administration to secure a lasting future for our members and their families.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said the orders “formally ended, from the president’s perch, the war on coal.”

“I think as coal is again a very vital part of our economy and our power production — as it has been for years and is projected to be for years — the fact that we’re going to keep our coal miners working and our coal facilities open, I think will increase employment just because of increased production but also the increased use of coal,” she said.

However, it’s unlikely any new coal-fired power plants will be built as a result of the president’s orders, Capito said.

“You and I both know that’s a pretty steep hill to climb,” she said.

“There have been no new coal plants built in this country for quite some time. I think Longview might be one of the newest ones,” she said.

The Longview Power Plant in Monongalia County, near Maidsville, went into operation in 2011.

The president’s plan instead calls for the industry to “modernize what we have,” Capito said.

“So that we can run them through their entire life and then keep that employment very robust,” she said.

There are nine coal-fired electrical generation facilities in West Virginia: Pleasants Power Station, Harrison Power Station, Mountaineer Power, John Amos, Mount Storm, Morgantown Energy Associates, Longview Power, Fort Martin Power Station and Mitchell Power.

West Virginia is the second-largest coal producer in the nation, after Wyoming, and accounts for 15% of U.S. total coal production, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

West Virginia has 16% of U.S. recoverable coal reserves, the third-largest state reserves after Wyoming and Illinois.

In 2023, coal-fired power plants accounted for 86% of West Virginia’s total electricity net generation. Renewable energy resources, primarily wind energy and hydroelectric power, contributed 7%, and natural gas also provided about 7%.