US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at reviving the US coal industry, designating coal as a “mineral” and directing federal agencies to prioritise coal mining and leasing on federal lands.

Executive Order 14241 forms part of a broader push by Trump to achieve what he terms “American energy dominance", while rolling back environmental regulations implemented during the Biden administration.

"Today, we're taking historic action to help American workers, miners, families and consumers. We're ending Joe Biden's war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all... we're going to put the miners back to work," Trump said at an event at the White House, surrounded by coal miners wearing hard hats.

Under the new directive, the chair of the National Energy Dominance Council is tasked with classifying coal as a mineral, allowing it to benefit from incentives and prioritisation previously afforded to other critical resources. The Secretary of the Interior has been instructed to acknowledge the end of the Obama-era Jewell Moratorium, which paused coal leasing on federal lands.

The order also requires federal agencies to rescind policies that discourage coal production or favour alternative energy sources. It directs the Council on Environmental Quality to help agencies adopt coal-related categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act, effectively easing permitting hurdles for coal projects.

Trump is also seeking to promote coal and coal technology exports and wants US coal to be used to power emerging industries such as AI data processing centres. The order calls for the Department of Energy to assess whether coal used in steelmaking should be listed as a “critical material” and “critical mineral” under the Energy Act of 2020.

“Coal will be critical to meeting the rise in electricity demand due to a resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of artificial intelligence data processing centers,” the executive order states.

The President followed up with a proclamation granting a two-year reprieve to certain coal-fired power plants from stringent environmental regulations, specifically the Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The relief measure allows affected plants to comply with a less stringent version of the rule.

Trump’s team warned that the Biden standards could force widespread coal plant closures, threaten grid reliability, and eliminate thousands of jobs. “This relief is necessary to maintain operational coal plants, protect energy security, and allow time for viable technology solutions,” the proclamation reads.

Coal currently accounts for about 16% of electricity generation in the US. Trump argued that prior efforts to phase it out have undermined the country’s energy security, raised costs, and increased reliance on foreign energy sources.

“We will develop the liquid gold that is right under our feet, including American oil and natural gas and we will also embrace nuclear, clean coal, hydropower, which is fantastic, and every other form of affordable energy to get it done,” Trump said in remarks accompanying the executive order.

The order builds on actions previously taken by Trump, including withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, revoking executive actions from the Biden administration, and reversing the pause on liquefied natural gas export permits. It also continues his first-term legacy, which included repealing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and introducing the Affordable Clean Energy rule in 2019.

Trump said his approach balances economic growth with environmental goals, describing it as a pragmatic strategy to maintain clean air and water while supporting US industries and national security.

The National Mining Association (NMA) president and CEO Rich Nolan applauded Trump's executive actions to support the coal industry.

“Despite countless warnings from the nation’s grid operators and energy regulators that we are facing an electricity supply crisis, the last administration’s energy policies were built on hostility to fossil fuels, directly targeting coal. The explosive growth and parallel energy demands of artificial intelligence and electrification have rendered that path not just unsustainable but plainly reckless," Nolan said.

He added that the executive actions by Trump prioritised how to responsibly keep the lights on. "[These actions] recognise the enormous strategic value of American mined coal and embrace the economic opportunity that comes from American energy abundance. It’s a stark shift from the prior administration’s punitive regulatory agenda, hostile energy policies and unlawful land grabs."