March 10, 2026 -  

Coal continues to not just deliver affordable and reliable energy for the country—and for steelmaking--but it continues to deliver jobs. That’s according to a new study released by the West Virginia Coal Association and conducted by the West Virginia University Bureau of Business & Economic Research. Looking at West Virginia, the report finds that coal mining and coal generation together produced approximately $21 billion in total economic activity in 2024, supported more than 36,000 jobs, and generated nearly $4 billion in employee compensation in the state. 

Given those key economic contributions, there are some in Congress who are working to support the industry’s ability to provide those boosts to state and local economies. Yesterday Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced legislation to reform bonus bids for coal producers on federal leases. The bill reforms federal bonus bids under the Mineral Leasing Act, to extend the fee schedule from a condensed five-payment structure to 10 equal installments over a longer timeline. The effect will be to maintain government revenue while reducing the initial cost of coal operations on federal lands.

Finally, looking abroad, Venezuela's ruling ‌party on Monday approved a mining law expected to open the sector to private and foreign investment. The move comes at the encouraging of the Trump administration  which has been working to help attract investment to stabilize the country. The law would allow foreign and domestic companies to pursue commodities from gold to rare earths and increases concessions from 20 years to 30 years. Mineral deposits remain the property of the state, but disputes will be resolved through international arbitration. If it passes, it remains to be seen whether this new framework will attract new investment.