Interior releases USGS estimate of 356 billion tons of coal resources beneath federal lands
The Interior Department released a new U.S. Geological Survey assessment on July 23, 2026, estimating that federally managed public lands contain 4.2 billion short tons of reported coal reserves associated with active mines and an additional 356 billion short tons of available coal resources in the lower 48 states.
The assessment also identifies at least 140 billion tons of coal resources in Alaska. Interior said the inventory could inform the management of public lands and national energy policy as the administration emphasizes domestic energy production.
What the assessment measures
The report covers coal reserves and resources beneath federally managed public lands across the United States. Its figures describe the estimated scale of the resource base; they do not represent a forecast that the coal will be mined or produced.
The 4.2-billion-short-ton figure applies to reported reserves associated with active mines on federal lands. A reserve estimate is distinct from the broader resource estimates in the assessment. The report’s additional estimate of 356 billion short tons covers available coal resources in the lower 48 states, while Alaska has at least 140 billion tons of identified coal resources.
Interior said that, if the resource base were produced, it would represent at least 600 years of current national coal consumption. That comparison describes the potential scale of the inventory, not a timetable for extraction or a prediction about future demand.
Wyoming accounts for most reported active-mine reserves
Wyoming contains 87% of the reported reserves associated with active mines on federal lands, according to the assessment. The North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming is identified as the largest-producing federal-land coal mine and as having the nation’s largest reported reserves.
The geographic concentration of reported reserves gives Wyoming a central place in the federal inventory. The additional resource estimates extend beyond the state, including the large amount identified in Alaska and the resources reported across the lower 48 states.
What it means for public-land policy
The release provides the federal government with a new resource inventory at a time when officials are weighing domestic energy production, energy security and how public lands should be managed. The information could be used in future discussions about mining and federal energy policy.
But the assessment itself does not approve new mines, authorize extraction of the full estimated resource base or determine whether mining would be environmentally feasible. The figures should not be read as saying that all identified coal resources are economically recoverable reserves.
That distinction matters for communities, companies and public-land users. An estimate of resources identifies coal that may be present or available for additional evaluation; it does not by itself establish that a project can proceed, that mining would be profitable or that environmental requirements have been met.
What happens next
Interior said the assessment could inform future management of public lands and energy policy. The approved announcement does not identify a specific mine approval, new leasing decision, production target or deadline that follows from the report.
For now, the July 23 release is a national accounting of estimated coal reserves and resources beneath federal lands. Any future decision to develop those resources would be separate from the assessment and would require actions not included in the report.
Sources
- Interior Releases Major Update on Coal Potential Beneath Federal Lands, U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Department of the Interior news page, U.S. Department of the Interior
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