August 26, 2026 - U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright praised the Trump administration’s energy policies during a Monday visit to the John B. Rich Memorial Power Station in Pennsylvania, emphasizing the state’s importance to U.S. energy production and heavy industry.

Wright, who toured the facility alongside U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., pointed to Pennsylvania’s substantial coal and natural gas resources as important contributors to both the state and national economies. He also argued that Republican energy policies would strengthen domestic production by reversing regulations adopted under the Biden administration.

The visit comes ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake. Republican Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, both seeking reelection, participated in the tour, along with Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, the Republican candidate for governor.

Brian Rich, president of the Rich Family of Companies, hosted the delegation and provided an overview of the Gilberton Power Station in Mahanoy Township. The 88-megawatt cogeneration facility began operating in 1988 and generates electricity using culm, waste material left behind by generations of coal mining.

The process provides an additional environmental benefit by removing old coal waste from the surrounding landscape. According to Rich, limestone is added during combustion to help control emissions, while a baghouse filtration system captures particulate matter before exhaust leaves the plant's 325-foot stack.

Rich said the facility operates within federal environmental standards but argued that regulations introduced during the Obama administration placed significant pressure on the industry and threatened its viability.

Meuser, a member of the House Committee on Small Business, noted that coal accounts for about 17% of Pennsylvania's electricity generation. While supporting regulatory relief for coal and other energy producers, he acknowledged that changes to existing rules and energy policy would likely take time.

The Rich family also operates the St. Nicholas Cogeneration Project near Shenandoah. Other industry representatives participating in the visit included Reading Anthracite Vice President William Rich, Rich Family of Companies Vice President Mark Trostle and Ri-Corp. Development and Energy Resources executives Alex Brush and John Rich III.

Wright Emphasizes Anthracite's Industrial Role

Wright described Pennsylvania as one of the nation's leading energy-producing states, pointing to its position as the country's second-largest natural gas producer behind Texas as well as its extensive anthracite coal deposits.

He rejected suggestions that Pennsylvania's anthracite reserves are nearing depletion after roughly two centuries of mining, arguing that substantial supplies remain available.

Wright also emphasized anthracite's importance beyond electricity generation. The coal's high carbon content and relatively low level of impurities make it useful in industrial applications, including steel production. He connected continued domestic coal production with the supply chains needed to manufacture major construction materials such as steel and concrete.

Maintaining the country's coal industry, Wright said, remains important to U.S. manufacturing and industrial capacity, and he characterized operations such as those in Pennsylvania's anthracite region as an important part of that effort.

Wright has served as U.S. secretary of energy since 2025. Before joining the administration, he was CEO of Liberty Energy, a major North American hydraulic fracturing company. He also previously served on the boards of nuclear technology company Oklo Inc. and mineral-rights company EMX Royalty Corporation.