The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced investment of $130m in coal production, including allocations for Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and Virginia.
The funding for the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) will be available via the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program.
This initiative is designed to repurpose legacy coal mining sites into catalysts for economic growth, job creation and infrastructure development, particularly in areas historically dependent on coal production.
Project selection will be led by individual states and tribes to make sure that funding meets local economic and community development requirements.
For FY25, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will each receive $28.67m from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program.
Alabama, Ohio and Virginia are set to get $11m each, while the Crow Tribe, Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation will each be allocated $3.67m. These funds are intended for projects ranging from energy infrastructure to manufacturing, recreation and commercial redevelopment.
US DOI Acting Assistant Secretary of Lands and Mineral Management Adam Suess said: “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Burgum, these investments are transforming abandoned mine lands into hubs of economic opportunity, job creation and local innovation.
“We are proud to support state and tribal partners in putting these lands back to work for the American people.”
Eligible states and tribes are encouraged to collaborate with community and economic development partners to pinpoint high-impact projects that can leverage these lands for economic benefit.
The programme not only addresses the hazards of legacy mining, such as unstable highwalls and polluted waterways but also supports the Trump administration’s commitment to American Energy Dominance and the revitalisation of rural economies.
In 2022, the Joe Biden administration announced nearly $725m to catalyse economic revitalisation in coal communities.
