WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Jim Justice issued a statement following his visit to the White House to attend the President’s signing of multiple Executive Orders:
“West Virginia is a leader in energy and is well poised to power America. It’s all about energy, plain and simple – I know that, President Trump knows that, and Americans know that. This order continues to highlight the President’s commitment to unleash American energy and shows an understanding as to how important the coal industry is to powering America. I’m proud to stand with him to ensure West Virginia can continue to lead the way in energy production for generations to come,” said Senator Jim Justice.
Watch the video HERE.
BACKGROUND:
- Senator Justice has been a staunch supporter of President Trump’s actions to unleash American energy.
- Today, President Trump signed an Executive Order to prioritize America’s clean coal industry.
- This Executive Order directs the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a “mineral”, providing coal to all benefits.
- Relevant agencies must identify coal resources on Federal lands, eliminate barriers to coal mining, and prioritize coal leasing.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge the end of the Jewell Moratorium, which paused coal leasing on Federal lands.
- Agencies must rescind any policies that discourage coal production or favor alternative energy sources over coal.
- Seeks to promote coal and coal technology exports, facilitate international agreements for U.S. coal, and development of coal technologies.
- Directs the Secretary of Energy to evaluate coal used in production meets the “critical material” and “critical mineral” under the Energy Act of 2020.
- Supports the use of coal for to power new artificial intelligence (AI) data.