•  Plan may expand export routes, support new power plants, and increase overseas demand for Wyoming coal

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said a major investment announced by the Trump administration could deliver a “major benefit” for coal nationwide and help Wyoming producers expand sales, especially to the West Coast and international buyers.

Governor Gordon, speaking on SVI Radio, said the administration’s announcement is significant not just for current Wyoming operations, but for future coal power development. “I think it’s a major benefit for coal across the country,” Gordon said, adding “the announcement that the president made will be beneficial.”

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The governor said multiple power plants that burn Wyoming coal are part of the picture, and he pointed to momentum toward increased transport and export capacity. “Of most significance was the ability to really double down on getting our coal to the West Coast,” he said, describing the move as something Wyoming has worked toward “for a very long time.”

Gordon also tied the investment to the possibility of new coal-fired capacity, including in technology advances he believes could better match modern energy demand. “I’m also excited to hear… this will be a benefit to Wyoming coal producers and the future of coal,” he said, noting that administration plans include “building some new coal plants.” He said that matters, particularly because Wyoming’s Naughton operation has already been converted to natural gas, and future coal-focused development would require building forward. “It’s a really positive step in the right direction.”

International demand, Gordon said, remains a strong driver for Wyoming’s coal value. He said countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and Korea want Wyoming coal because it performs better environmentally than some alternatives. “They all want Wyoming coal,” Gordon said. “They’d like to have our coal because it’s better coal, it burns cleaner, it produces less ash.”

When asked about the likelihood of a demonstration or new coal-fired plant in Wyoming, something discussed previously by state representatives, Gordon said the state has worked for years and suggested the timing could be right for the new generation. “It is time we built some new plant, demonstration or otherwise,” he said.

He pointed to legislative action he called important to making new capacity possible. “It’s really exciting to have the Energy Dominance Fund passed by the legislature,” Gordon said.

In closing, Gordon told listeners that regional mining impacts, from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin mines to smaller operations in the southwest, could be supported if coal demand continues to strengthen. “We have seen the coal market improve a little bit this year,” he said. “I think as people begin to kind of shed the fear of coal… it will be of great, great benefit.”