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Federal officials on Monday took a first step toward reopening vast areas of public lands in two Western states to new coal sales as part of President Donald Trump’s push to expand U.S. fossil fuel production. The Interior Department proposal comes after the Biden administration, citing climate change, tried to end sales of the fuel from the nation’s most productive coal fields — the Powder River Basin in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana. The Trump administration is instead considering selling leases for coal mining on more than 2,600 square miles (6,800 kilometers) of federal lands in that region, according to...

In recent days, the Biden administration has released two decisions on the future of mining in the Powder River Basin. The basin, which includes portions of Wyoming and Montana, produces 43 percent of the nation’s coal. The administration said it would not allow new leasing to take place in the area, citing climate change impacts. Ongoing mining operations, which are expected to last through 2041, would not be affected.

Four leading House Republicans, citing national security concerns, are urging Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner to block the sale of a Wyoming-based uranium mine to an arm of the Russian government's main nuclear agency. The lawmakers are raising alarm over the proposed sale of a Powder River Basin, Wyoming-based uranium processing facility operated by Uranium One USA, a Canadian-based company, to Atomredmetzoloto, a subsidiary of the Russian government agency Rosatom, according to a letter obtained Tuesday by The Washington Times. The sale was first announced on Aug. 31, and the lawmakers claim that it could give Moscow control of up...

Here is America's Next Great Shale Play By Matt DiLallo | More Articles | Save For Later June 1, 2014 | Comments (0)   Photo credit: Chesapeake Energy  Chesapeake Energy  (NYSE: CHK  )  recently held its annual investor day. Among the many topics the company discussed was its emerging position in the Powder River Basin in the Rocky Mountains, which it sees becoming a world-class asset. That enthusiasm isn't just being conveyed by Chesapeake Energy. Earlier this year, EOG Resources  (NYSE: EOG  )  announced that it was adding four new Rocky Mountain oil plays to its drilling inventory while Devon Energy  (NYSE: DVN  )  noted that it was drilling...

DENVER (AP) - Interior Secretary Gale Norton said Wednesday that her agency wants to triple the number of drilling permits approved in Wyoming's natural gas fields to help meet the nation's growing energy needs. Wyoming, Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states make up one of the country's two major accessible gas reserves, Norton said in an interview with The Associated Press following an energy conference. "Natural gas is a major energy need for the country. The demand for natural gas is expected to far outstrip the production," Norton said. The Bush administration is pushing for speedier approval of permits to...