WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) applauds President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order to Unleash American Energy by reinvigorating “America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.”
The order prioritizes coal leasing on Federal lands by ending an active leasing moratorium. It also designates coal as a critical mineral and pushes its usage to meet rising electricity demands for domestic manufacturing and new artificial intelligence (IA) data centers.
In January, President Trump declared a national energy emergency. In effort to meet rising energy needs, he authorized his administration to reopen shuttered coal-fired power plants last month, while allowing others slated for retirement to continue producing electricity.
“This is welcomed news for Eastern Kentucky’s coal country and restoring affordable energy in the United States. Our region was decimated by the Obama Administration’s war on coal, sending 14,000 coal miners to the unemployment line and driving thousands of coal-related jobs out of our region. Not only were coal mines shuttered, but coal-fired power plants were also imploded. It will take time to rebuild this industry, but coal needs to be a part of our energy portfolio for future generations to remain competitive,” said Congressman Rogers, Dean of the House.
Roughly 85 percent of coal jobs in Kentucky have been eliminated over the last 30 years, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics. Eastern Kentucky only has 2,500 coal mining jobs left in the region, according to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Quarterly Coal Report in March 2025.
During the event, President Trump invited Tony Campbell, CEO of East Kentucky Power Cooperative to speak about the importance of coal-generated power.
“Mr. President, electric co-ops are powering America, and we are proud to partner with you and your administration to power America into the future. Our electric cooperative in Kentucky understands the importance of reliable, affordable and American-made energy, especially coal and natural gas. Coal fuels most of the electricity generated by our cooperative. America must keep coal plants open and running to ensure reliable electricity when we need it most," said Campbell.
For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.
###
Congressman Hal Rogers
2406 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4601
