Trump to Expand Coal Use to Power AI
The order will declare coal a "critical mineral" and recommit the U.S. to selling mining rights on federal land
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at ramping up coal mining and utilisation to support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and steel production.
The order will declare coal a "critical mineral" and recommit the U.S. to selling mining rights on federal lands. It is also expected to invoke emergency authorities to reopen shuttered coal-fired power plants — a move aligned with Trump’s campaign pledge to revive the coal industry.
Industry giants, including Peabody Energy Corp., Core Natural Resources Inc., and Ramaco Resources, Inc. attended the signing ceremony.
A key component of the order includes lifting a longstanding federal leasing moratorium first implemented under President Barack Obama.
This could open the door for mining companies to expand operations on public lands — a footprint that has significantly declined over the past 30 years.
As of 2023, coal companies held just 279 federal leases covering nearly 422,000 acres, according to data from the U.S. Interior Department.
The move underscores a broader strategy to secure domestic energy resources amid rising power demands from emerging technologies and industrial sectors.
Earlier this year, Trump announced his intention to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement – the global accord that implements the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Given the surging demand for energy required to power large AI models, environmental concerns are mounting, with activists warning that the rapid expansion of data centers—often reliant on traditional energy sources—could significantly increase carbon emissions and strain existing energy infrastructure.
