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Sen. Barrasso questions nominee on future Powder River Basin coal leasing
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Summary
Sen. Barrasso challenged a deputy-secretary nominee on BLM steps to prohibit new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, noting the basin supplied about 45% of U.S. coal last year and questioning whether existing leases could meet future demand; the nominee said he would seek to better understand the issue if confirmed.
Sen. Barrasso told the committee that in May the Bureau of Land Management took steps to prohibit coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, and said the basin accounted for "about 45% of all the coal mined and used in The United States" last year. He said an official named Miss Stone Manning has said existing leases can meet future coal demand, and the senator said he doubted that assessment.
The deputy-secretary nominee said he is familiar with the Powder River Basin and acknowledged coal still plays a role in electricity generation, even as demand falls. He told the committee that if confirmed he would "seek to understand at the appropriate level" whether existing lease capacity is adequate and to "understand that debate better."
The exchange did not include a departmental policy commitment on future leasing; the nominee framed his answer as a need for further review rather than a policy position.
Why it matters: the Powder River Basin supplies a large share of U.S. coal and changes to federal leasing policies can affect energy markets, local economies and workforce communities. The committee hearing recorded differing views about whether existing leases can meet future demand; no facts were established beyond the statements recorded on the record.
