Opinion: Thank You for Choosing Reliability: DOE’s Investment and DOI’s Action

October 8, 2025

Every so often Washington makes a decision that isn’t about political buzzwords or rhetoric, instead it’s about whether the lights stay on and whether a paystub shows up on a Friday. This is one of those moments. The Department of Energy’s $625 million commitment to reinvigorate America’s coal fleet, paired with the Department of the Interior’s decision to open 13.1 million acres for coal leasing while streamlining approvals and right-sizing royalties, tells the country—plainly—that reliable, affordable, plentiful power is back at the center of national policy. On behalf of producers, transporters, suppliers, utilities, and the hundreds of thousands of men and women whose craft keeps America powered, the American Coal Council says: thank you.