For more than a century, America’s coal industry has powered our homes, forged our steel, and fueled our prosperity. It has been the backbone of industrial growth and a symbol of American strength, self-reliance, and hard work. Even today — after nearly two decades of relentless political and regulatory assault — coal remains one of this nation’s most valuable resources, sustaining hundreds of thousands of jobs and keeping electricity affordable and reliable for millions of families.

Coal mining and the industries that depend directly on it employ more than 400,000 Americans. That figure includes approximately 130,000 miners, technicians, engineers, and plant operators working in extraction, preparation, and transport — and more than 270,000 additional workers in sectors that rely on coal as their lifeblood: railroads, barge lines, equipment manufacturers, utilities, steelmakers, and the communities that serve them. Together, they form one of the most productive, disciplined, and technically advanced workforces in the nation.

The economic reach of this workforce is immense. When you combine wages, benefits, and tax contributions, America’s coal industry generates more than $300 billion in annual economic impact. Coal miners themselves earn average wages exceeding $90,000 per year — nearly double the national average. Those paychecks sustain rural counties, small towns, and entire regions from Appalachia to the Powder River Basin. The taxes paid by coal companies and their employees — federal, state, and local — contribute an estimated $12 billion each year, funding schools, highways, and essential public services across multiple states. In places like West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, coal doesn’t just provide jobs — it provides the foundation for life itself.

And that foundation extends far beyond the communities where coal is mined. Nearly one-third of America’s electricity still comes from coal, providing the baseload generation that keeps the grid stable when wind and solar can’t meet demand. Without coal, our energy system would be far more expensive, far less reliable, and far more dependent on foreign imports. At a time when families are struggling under inflation and high utility bills, coal remains the most abundant, reliable, and affordable source of energy ever discovered — and the only one capable of sustaining industrial-scale steel production.

Steel, the backbone of modern civilization, cannot be produced without metallurgical coal. Every skyscraper, bridge, railcar, and ship in America depends on it. Our nation’s defense systems rely on it. Our ability to rebuild infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and reindustrialize the nation all hinge on one truth: without coal, America stops building.

Despite its essential role, our industry has endured nearly twenty years of political persecution. Beginning under the Obama administration and continuing under President Biden, federal regulators have weaponized the rulemaking process to wage an ideological war against coal. The Clean Power Plan, Waters of the U.S. rule, endless permitting delays, and duplicative environmental reviews have been used not to improve safety or reduce emissions, but to deliberately dismantle the coal sector and the communities that depend upon it.

These weren’t policy differences — they were acts of economic sabotage aimed squarely at working-class Americans. Yet through it all, our miners and companies adapted, innovated, and persevered. We modernized our operations, improved environmental performance, and maintained the highest safety standards in the world. The result is an industry that is leaner, cleaner, and more efficient than at any point in its history — and still irreplaceable.

Today, under the leadership of the President who declared America must once again achieve “energy dominance,” there is new hope. His administration has recognized what others denied — that energy security is national security, and that reliable baseload power is not a luxury, but a necessity. Through executive orders supporting domestic production, regulatory reform, and infrastructure investment, this President has reaffirmed coal’s rightful place as part of America’s energy future. He understands that we cannot remain a free and prosperous nation if we surrender our energy independence to the whims of global markets or the control of foreign adversaries.

But executive orders alone are not enough. For this revival to last, Congress must act. Lawmakers must codify the President’s energy and regulatory reforms into permanent law — ensuring that no future administration can again use the regulatory system as a political weapon. They must reaffirm coal’s vital role in America’s energy mix, support investment in advanced coal technologies, and defend the workers and communities that have given this country more than a century of service.

That’s why the coal industry is organizing for the future. The formation of America’s Coal Associations, an alliance of the nation’s state-level coal organizations, represents a new era of cooperation and collective strength. Working together, this coalition will serve as a united voice for the coal industry and the millions of Americans who depend on it. Partnering with the Friends of Coal, a grassroots movement that has energized support across coalfield communities, this alliance will ensure that the message of coal’s importance is heard–in every statehouse, every newsroom, and every congressional office in the nation.

Our mission is simple: to preserve and strengthen America’s coal industry so that our nation can remain strong, self-sufficient, and free. We know what happens when energy becomes a weapon — when power grids fail, when factories close, when nations become dependent on others for their most basic needs. America cannot afford that fate.

The stakes are nothing less than our economic future. Without coal, energy prices rise, manufacturing declines, and the dream of energy independence collapses. With coal, America leads. We maintain balance in the marketplace, stability in our grid, and prosperity in our communities. We can — and must — build an energy future rooted not in ideology, but in reality.

To our miners and their families, to our communities and our allies across the nation, I say this: the fight for coal’s future is the fight for America’s future. Our industry has stood the test of time, and with unity and purpose, it will continue to stand. But we must speak with one voice, act with one will, and demand that our leaders in Washington do their part. Codify the President’s actions. Reinforce the laws that protect American energy. And never again allow foreign dependence or political fashion to dictate the course of our energy destiny.

Coal built this nation. It powered its rise, armed its defenders, and fueled its freedom. And if we have the wisdom to stand together — to lead together — it will power its renewal.

(Chris Hamilton is President and Chief Executive Officer of the West Virginia Coal Association. He is a leading voice for America’s energy and manufacturing industries and a lifelong advocate for the nation’s coal miners and coalfield communities.)