The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday approved expansion of coal mining in Montana, marking the second largest coal expansion since President Donald Trump took office in January as 33.75 million tons of federal coal will be recovered, 300 jobs ensured, and a million homes powered by the decision.
The Heritage Foundation’s director of the center for energy, climate, and the environment Diana Furchtgott-Roth told The Center Square that “coal produces the energy for about 16% of the nation’s electricity, and more coal means more reliable, less expensive energy.”
“It’s a hot summer, and people don’t want blackouts, they want to crank up their AC,” Furchtgott-Roth said.
“The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has warned of blackouts this year due to lack of baseload power – power that works continuously, irrespective of whether the sun shines or the wind blows,” Furchtgott-Roth said. “Coal is cheap to store and produces reliable baseload power at low cost.”
Furchtgott-Roth said “demand for energy is increasing due to data centers and AI.”
“Renewables need backup and are not dependable for producing the energy we need,” Furchtgott-Roth said, including solar and wind energy.
“Coal, along with oil, natural gas, and nuclear power, is an important part of the mix,” Furchtgott-Roth said.
An Interior Department news release said that its newly announced mining plan modification is located in Rosebud Mine in Rosebud and Treasure counties, Montana.
