President Trump is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday afternoon promoting increased coal mining and usage in the U.S., with the goal of supporting energy-demanding artificial intelligence data centers and revitalizing the struggling fossil fuel sector.

The President will instruct several federal actions aimed at revitalizing the coal industry, Bloomberg reported, citing a senior White House official. Key provisions include restoring coal mining rights on federal lands, designating coal as a critical mineral, and promoting the export of U.S. coal and associated technologies.

The initiative suggests Trump and his administration see America’s coal reserves as essential for maintaining the nation’s competitive edge in AI and safeguarding national security.

Trump pledged to revive coal while campaigning for president last year and already signed an executive order earlier in his term declaring a national energy emergency and directing the Environmental Protection Agency to boost fossil fuel production and distribution.

The President is scheduled to sign the executive order at a 3 p.m. event in the White House’s East Room. The event will be attended by executives from major U.S. mining companies, including Peabody Energy, Core Natural Resources  and Ramaco Resources, according to the report.

Coal stocks to watch: Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU) +6.6% pre-market, Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) +3.2%, Core Natural Resources (CNR) +3.2%, Warrior Met Coal (HCC) +3.9%, SunCoke Energy (SXC), Alpha Metallurgical Resources (AMR) +0.4%.

The U.S. has pulled back sharply from coal use over the past three decades, with the share of power generation from the coal declining to 19.7% in 2022 from 52.8% in 1997. 

Since 2000, approximately 770 coal-fired power units have been retired, with more closures expected, based on data from Global Energy Monitor.

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