October 3, 2025 - 13.1 million acres of federal land are now open for coal leasing, including the Cowboy State of Wyoming.

Now, the Wyoming Energy Authority’s Director of Fossil Fuel Development, Kyle Wendtland, is talking with Your Wyoming Link about what impact this could have here in our state.

Wendtland says, now that these leases are available with a reduced royalty rate, the biggest determiner of a coal boost will be market demand for Wyoming coal.

"Markets change over time. The market we're in today, this puts coal in a more competitive, framework with the other fuels for generating thermal power, which is what Wyoming coal is primarily used for. More is more," Wendtland said.

"We're not picking winners and losers here. We know that because of the increased demand that is out there, we need to be able to do everything we can't. That's good for Wyoming and good for national security in the energy sector." 

The Powder River Basin holds the most prolific coal mines in Wyoming and the nation, and now those federal lands will be open for coal leasing.