Fedorchak attends Interior Department announcement on coal leasing and grid stability
BISMARCK, ND — Lignite Energy Council members and North Dakota officials joined federal leaders in Washington, D.C. today as the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy unveiled a coordinated policy effort to expand coal leasing, modernize regulations, and support the reliability of the U.S. power grid.
The centerpiece of the announcement was a new Interior Department plan to open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing, tripling previous benchmarks. The plan also reduces royalty rates, streamlines project approvals across multiple coal-producing states, and accelerates efforts to recover critical minerals from coal resources.
North Dakota’s lignite industry was featured prominently, with lease sales already underway at Freedom Mine and Falkirk Mine, two of the largest surface lignite operations in the country. These mines support baseload power generation for hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the Upper Midwest and are essential to the state’s energy infrastructure and economy.
U.S. Representative Julie Fedorchak delivered remarks at the event, emphasizing the importance of reliable, baseload generation in meeting rising energy demand. Also present were numerous North Dakota energy leaders, including Mac McLennan (Minnkota Power), Todd Brickhouse (Basin Electric), J.C. Butler and Carroll Dewing (The North American Coal Corporation), and State Representative Anna Novak of Hazen.
“North Dakota has long been a national leader in responsible coal development,” said Jonathan Fortner, President and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council. “This announcement reinforces our role in keeping the grid stable and energy affordable.”
In support of that goal, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced major actions the EPA is taking to provide affordable energy to American families. The EPA is beginning the process of re-evaluating the Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze Rule, which has imposed significant costs on power plants and states with limited environmental benefits. The agency plans to revamp the rule through a framework of cooperative federalism, aiming to give states greater flexibility, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, and more closely align implementation with Congressional intent and actual air quality improvements.
At the same time, the Department of Energy committed $625 million in new funding to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal industry. The package includes investments for retrofits, recommissioning of coal units, and rural power affordability. DOE emphasized that these funds aim to keep coal plants running, preserve reliability, lower energy costs, and support coal communities nationwide.
“These efforts represent a thoughtful shift toward energy realism,” Fortner said. “Opening coal leasing, reforming burdensome rules, and investing in generation capacity are essential if we’re going to keep up with demand. North Dakota brings real solutions to the table, with the resources, infrastructure, and skilled workforce to deliver reliable energy for decades to come.”
According to the Department of Energy, electricity demand is expected to rise by more than 100,000 megawatts over the next five years, while more than 50,000 megawatts of coal generation is scheduled for retirement. A federal report released this summer warned that blackouts could increase one hundredfold by 2030 if these trends continue.
“While no coal plants are scheduled to retire in North Dakota, we won’t be immune to the consequences of closures happening elsewhere,” Fortner said. “We’re part of a larger grid, and every shutdown in another state puts more pressure on the entire system. Reliability is a shared responsibility.”