Wyoming’s coal country just took a massive step toward undoing what many in our state view as one of the most damaging federal land decisions in years. On Monday, Rep. Harriet Hageman introduced H.J. Res. 130. This resolution would formally repeal the Biden administration’s Buffalo Resource Management Plan Amendment, better known as the Buffalo RMPA. This policy effectively shut down future coal leasing in the Powder River Basin through 2041.
And if that wasn’t enough of a political exclamation point, the Trump White House issued a full Statement of Administration Policy backing Hageman’s bill and promising that the President would sign it into law.
Senator Cynthia Lummis was quick to jump in as well, celebrating the resolution as a long-awaited reversal of the Biden administration’s “radical” restrictions on Wyoming energy production.
Below is what this all means for Wyoming, for coal country, and for the Powder River Basin that powers 40% of America’s electricity.
What H.J. Res. 130 Actually Does
According to the one-pager Hageman brought to the House floor, the resolution would:
✔ Reopen Future Coal Leasing in the Powder River Basin
The Biden RMPA prohibited new coal leasing until 2041, a move that blocked access to 48.12 billion short tons of federal coal under Wyoming soil. Hageman’s bill wipes that restriction away.
✔ Keep Energy Affordable & Reliable
By restoring leasing, the bill aims to secure enough coal to meet U.S. demand for more than a century. Wyoming currently produces about 40% of the nation’s coal.
✔ Protect Wyoming Jobs & State Revenue
The Powder River Basin supports:
- 4,122 jobs in rural Wyoming,
- $1.9 billion in labor output through 2048,
- Millions in state revenue used for K-12 education.
✔ Generate Federal Revenue
With leasing restored, the Treasury would receive an estimated $260 million under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” part of the Trump energy agenda.
Trump Admin Throws Full Support Behind the Resolution
In a formal statement, the Trump administration made its stance unmistakably clear: The President strongly supports Hageman’s resolution, calling the Biden RMPA:
- A “disastrous decision”
- “A blow to America’s energy security”
- A driver of “the War on Coal”
- Something that “hinders economic growth and drives up energy prices nationwide”
The statement argues that coal is essential, not just for traditional electricity supply but for the nation’s rapidly expanding manufacturing and AI data-center power demand. With foreign countries opening coal plants at breakneck speed, the administration said it will not allow U.S. coal to be “underutilized or limited.”
The statement ends with a guarantee:
If H.J. Res. 130 reached the President’s desk in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign it into law.
Hageman & Lummis: Wyoming Is “Reversing the Damage”
Both members of Wyoming’s congressional delegation took to social media today to highlight the significance of the vote.
Rep. Hageman emphasized that Wyoming produces roughly 85% of all federal coal and that the Biden RMPA would have effectively shut down the Powder River Basin.
Sen. Lummis framed the action as part of a broader energy comeback under President Trump:
“We are one step closer to reversing the disastrous Biden-era Buffalo Resource Management Plan. With @POTUS, we are unleashing American energy.”
Why You Should Care
For Wyoming, this isn’t just about ideological differences between administrations. Coal remains one of the largest economic engines in the state, funding schools, supporting rural communities, and keeping thousands of Wyoming families employed.
The Biden RMPA represented the most sweeping federal retreat from coal leasing ever implemented. H.J. Res. 130 is its mirror opposite, signaling that Wyoming’s coal industry, far from being phased out, is now being positioned for another long run.
If the resolution clears Congress, it would officially restore coal leasing in the Powder River Basin and cement Wyoming’s role at the center of America’s energy future.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
