U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota has expressed his support for President Trump’s recent signing of executive orders concerning coal mining and coal-powered electricity production. Cramer shared his views, stating, “It was a really good day for American energy. These executive orders that President Trump signed today reflect not just a temporary reprieve in the war against coal, but really a revolutionary break from the Biden administration’s pessimistic philosophy of scarcity.”
Cramer emphasized the significant impact these orders could have, asserting that they signify a substantial shift towards energy abundance and reaffirm President Trump’s commitment to achieving energy dominance. “This shift toward a brighter future for energy abundance really does solidify President Trump’s promise to pursue energy dominance by ensuring that coal, which is of course our nation’s most abundant energy resource, remains available to help keep the lights on, and we know how important that is,” said Cramer.
He further noted the role of North Dakota’s lignite coal industry in providing consumers with the lowest average electric rates in the country. Cramer highlighted the challenges this industry faced under previous policies and praised the new executive orders for restoring “sanity to our national energy policy.”
During the Biden administration, Cramer had criticized regulatory actions against coal, arguing they would lead to negative consequences. He introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at overturning the Clean Power Plan 2.0 rule and welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement to roll back the rule on Deregulation Day. Cramer also drew attention to actions by former President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, who had implemented a moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands. According to Cramer, this moratorium has been explicitly terminated by President Trump’s recent actions.
