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July 22, 2026 - The Wyoming Energy Authority on Tuesday welcomed the National Coal Council’s release of two reports, “Maximizing the Value of the U.S. Coal Fleet” and “Outlook and Opportunities for U.S. Coal Exports,” that outline practical steps to preserve dependable coal generation, strengthen U.S. energy security and expand America’s position in global energy markets. Together, the reports make clear that coal remains a strategic national asset. As electricity demand accelerates from reshoring industry, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, electrification and broader economic growth, the nation must retain existing dispatchable generation while adding new generation. The coal fleet report concludes that operating the existing fleet through at least the 2040s is among the most cost-effective pathways for maintaining grid reliability and protecting consumers from higher power costs.
“These reports reinforce a basic truth: America cannot achieve energy security or economic strength by walking away from the reliable baseload power that keeps the grid stable and electricity affordable. Wyoming’s abundant coal, world-class workforce and commitment to innovation position our state as the leader in extending the value of the existing coal fleet and supplying our allies with dependable American energy. Advancing these recommendations will strengthen communities, support national security and move the United States closer to our energy dominance goals,” said Rob Creager, executive director of the Wyoming Energy Authority and a member of the National Coal Council.
The “Maximizing the Value of the U.S. Coal Fleet” report recommends durable regulatory certainty, power market reforms that properly value dispatchability and on-site fuel, financial support to modernize coal plants, reliable access to coal supplies, and policies that remove barriers to new efficient coal generation. It also emphasizes coordination among federal agencies, grid operators and states so reliability, resource adequacy and affordability are fully considered before plants retire.
The “Outlook and Opportunities for U.S. Coal Exports” report finds that abundant, high-quality U.S. thermal and metallurgical coal can help meet rising global demand for electricity and steel while providing partner nations an energy security hedge against geopolitical disruption. It calls for modernized export infrastructure, especially additional West Coast capacity, streamlined mine and transportation permitting, competitive federal leasing and fee policies, improved trade terms, and investment in ports, rail, locks and dams.
Those recommendations are especially consequential for Wyoming. The Powder River Basin is one of the nation’s and world's most important energy-producing regions, and improved access to Pacific markets would allow western coal to reach fast-growing Asian demand centers economically and efficiently. Strong domestic coal generation and expanded export capacity would sustain high-paying jobs, support mining and transportation communities, improve the U.S. trade balance and give allies a reliable higher quality fuel supply to alternative less secure energy suppliers.
The WEA supports an energy strategy that recognizes coal’s reliability, dispatchability, affordability, fuel security and economic value while advancing technologies that can extend the resource’s contribution to power generation domestically and abroad. The WEA will continue working with state and federal partners, industry and communities to advance Wyoming energy and strengthen American energy leadership.
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