USGS Finds More Than 355 Billion Tons of Coal Resources Beneath Federal Lands

The Interior Department and U.S. Geological Survey released a new inventory on July 23 identifying more than 355 billion short tons of available coal resources beneath federally managed lands in the conterminous United States. The report also identifies more than 4.2 billion short tons of reported reserves associated with 34 active federal-land mines.

Those numbers describe coal underground, not coal that is already permitted, financed or ready for production. The inventory is a scientific assessment, not a lease sale, mine permit, production forecast or authorization to extract the fuel.

What the report counted

The 34 active federal-land mines produced more than 261 million short tons in 2024, according to the USGS report. A short ton equals 2,000 pounds. Surface mining is used at 23 of the mines, while 11 use underground methods.

The mines are concentrated in the West. Thirty-one of the 34 are west of the Mississippi River, and those mines account for more than 98 percent of the reported reserves. Wyoming has 14 federal-land mines and produces more coal from federal lands than any other state.

The Powder River Basin, which spans parts of northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, has 14 federal-land mines identified by USGS: 12 in Wyoming and two in Montana. Interior says Wyoming mines contain 87 percent of the reported reserves associated with active federal-land mines.

Most of the mines produce thermal coal for electricity. Three Alabama mines produce metallurgical coal used in steelmaking, one Colorado mine produces coal for cement, and one Utah mine is idled.

Reserves and resources are not the same

Reported reserves are tied to active mines and represent coal identified in connection with current mining operations. Available coal resources are a broader geological category. They describe coal identified as present and potentially available beneath federal lands, but they do not guarantee that it can be mined profitably or without significant technical, legal or environmental limits.

That distinction matters because the 355-billion-ton figure should not be described as the amount of coal the United States can immediately mine. Economic conditions, transportation, mine design, permitting, environmental review, market demand and reclamation requirements would all affect whether particular deposits could be developed.

USGS separately estimates at least 140 billion short tons of identified available coal resources beneath federal lands in Alaska. The report says Alaska’s total coal resources could ultimately be as high as 5.5 trillion short tons, but it cautions that additional geological mapping is needed. The 5.5-trillion-ton figure is a possible upper estimate for total resources, not the identified available-resource amount.

Why the inventory matters now

The report arrives as the Trump administration pursues a broader effort to expand coal production from public lands. The Associated Press reported that federal officials are considering new coal leases covering more than 2,600 square miles of federal land in the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming.

That leasing effort remains preliminary. A Bureau of Land Management spokesperson told AP that the proposal could change after public comment, and the agency has not said how much interest mining companies have or how quickly any new mines could open.

The Interior Department said the resources could supply national needs for at least 600 years if produced at the current rate of consumption. That is agency framing based on current use, not a forecast that the coal will be mined or that national electricity demand will remain unchanged.

What the report does not do

The inventory does not authorize mining, reopen leasing, determine economic viability, settle environmental questions or establish future production. Individual projects would still require federal leasing decisions, public participation, environmental review, permits, market commitments and reclamation plans.

What to watch next

The practical checkpoints are federal leasing notices, public-comment periods, environmental reviews, mine applications, evidence of buyer interest and reclamation requirements. Those steps will determine whether any of the identified coal moves from a geological estimate toward an operating mine.

For now, the USGS report establishes a new federal baseline for the size and location of coal resources beneath public lands. It does not show that the deposits are economical, that companies will seek them or that new mining will occur.

Sources

Look for updates to this story

Discover more from Interactive News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.