The future of made-in-Montana energy
Montana’s energy industry is finally recovering from four years of relentless attacks by the Biden administration and its leftist environmental allies. It seemed like every day the Biden administration brought a new rule or regulation meant to stifle growth and production. Biden’s EPA administrator even accused Montanans of “cheating the system.”
All of this caused challenges up and down the supply chain and put Montana jobs in jeopardy. Thanks to hard work, flexibility, and savvy business decisions, the industry persevered.
With the Trump administration now in charge, we are working to unwind the Biden administration’s anti-energy agenda and unleash the power of Montana energy. This week we took a major step toward achieving that goal.
On Dec. 11, President Trump signed into law our bill repealing President Biden’s anti-energy Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment. Biden’s amendment prohibited any new coal leasing in Eastern Montana, including the Powder River Basin.
The Powder River Basin is America’s largest coal reserve and is critical for our energy independence. In caving to environmental hysteria, the Biden administration ignored the local community’s support for the project and locked up two million acres of land, which would have cost Montana more than $4 billion in future revenue.
Reversing this wrongheaded policy is a huge win, not just for Montana’s jobs and economy, but for our nation’s energy security as a whole. The demand for U.S. energy is expected to grow at least 50 percent over the next 25 years, and by unlocking future coal mining in the Powder River Basin and throughout Eastern Montana, we can prepare for this growth while bolstering our workforce and protecting our national security.
It’s important to note that overturning the Miles City Resource Management Plan does not reverse the entire land use plan, just Biden’s anti-mining portion. It also does not threaten the validity of other resource management plans. The attempts by radical environmentalist groups to smear the bill are false and the courts have made that clear.
The bottom line is that coal mining provides nearly 1,000 well-paying jobs in Montana and contributes nearly $3 billion to our economy. Those numbers are expected to increase when future mining projects are taken into account.
Together with Sen. Tim Sheehy and Rep. Ryan Zinke, we are paving the way for a bright future in Montana — a future that will create hundreds of jobs and ensure our nation remains the global leader in energy production. We will always fight for the needs of the Treasure State, and it’s our honor to serve you in Congress.
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana. This column was initially published by Lee Newspapers.