Lawmakers from coal states welcomed President Donald Trump’s move Tuesday to prevent power plants from retiring and keep mines open.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) celebrated the executive orders by holding up a large piece of coal on the floor. Wyoming, heart of the Powder River Basin, is the nation’s top coal-producing state.
Barrasso, former top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, called Trump’s action a “victory for Wyoming, for America and for a strong energy future.”
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Trump’s executive orders directed the Department of Energy to use emergency powers to protect coal plants at risk of retirement. The president also included coal among the minerals the administration is seeking to promote.
