{"id":310217,"date":"2025-11-22T03:25:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T03:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/activist\/trump-promised-to-bring-back-coal-this-town-listened\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T03:25:37","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T03:25:37","slug":"trump-promised-to-bring-back-coal-this-town-listened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=310217","title":{"rendered":"Trump Promised to Bring Back Coal. This Town Listened."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div id=\"article-title-block_2d15d10884ba4df4e3e0ca812b7bd06e\" class=\"article-title \">\n<div class=\"article-title__container\">\n<div class=\"article-title__eyebrow\">\n                            <span class=\"article-title__labels\"><br \/>\n                                        <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/subject\/environment\/\">Environment<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                                            <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                            <span class=\"article-title__label\"><br \/>\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/content\/studentnation\/\">StudentNation<\/a><br \/>\n                                        <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <\/span><br \/>\n                                    <span class=\"article-title__label-divider\"> \/ <\/span><br \/>\n                                                                            <span class=\"article-title__date\">November 20, 2025<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Through executive orders, Congress, and a loyalist cabinet, the Trump administration has delivered big for enclaves of coal country like Colstrip, Montana. But how long can it last?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad-block ad siderail-ad float-r-w-3 break-r-4\">\n<p>                                    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"ad-policy\" target=\"_blank\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n                                    <\/aside>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"907\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-577895\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Colstrip-Montana-Coal-Trump-793x500.jpg 793w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\n<p>A power plant in Colstrip, Montana.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"credits\">(Ezra Graham)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside id=\"aside-block-block_215191b3b7cff731ac824da7dfaa301e\" class=\"aside-block  float-l-w-2\">\n    <span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenationfund.org\/\">Nation Fund for Independent Journalism<\/a><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">, which is dedicated to highlighting the best of student journalism. For more StudentNation, check out\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/admin-taxonomy\/studentnation\/\">our archive<\/a><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">or learn more about the program\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenationfund.org\/what-we-do\/studentnation\/\">here<\/a><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">. StudentNation is made possible through generous funding from<\/span><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.puffinfoundation.org\/\">The Puffin Foundation<\/a><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">. If you\u2019re a student and you have an article idea, please send pitches and questions to<\/span><span style=\"color: #666666; font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\">\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1rem; box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#e7978e93848f8294a7938f828986938e888981928983c9889580\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"77071e03141f120437031f121916031e18191102191359180510\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span>.<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: inherit; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgb(59 130 246 \/ 0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; font-size: 1rem;\"\/><br \/>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">Standing beneath the power lines situated off Power Road in Colstrip, Montana, you can almost feel the current. Energy audibly crackles above as a covered conveyor belt running under Highway 39 transports coal from the local Rosebud Mine to an enormous power plant, supplying thousands of homes with electricity.<\/p>\n<p>In many American towns like this one, the fossil fuel industry has been economically vital\u2014while carrying enormous environmental burdens. <a href=\"https:\/\/nbcmontana.com\/resources\/pdf\/b944aea3-9134-4575-87f2-1e5f91f2fcdd-Energy_Reinvestments_Case_Study.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A recent study<\/a> from the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit working towards a clean energy future, found that \u201cemissions from the Colstrip plant have been linked to $2.1 billion in health costs with 151 premature deaths, 188 emergency room visits, and more than 90,000 cases of asthma symptoms\u201d over the last decade.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, two of the Colstrip plant\u2019s four units were shut down. The Montana Environmental Information Center, along with the Sierra Club, forced the closure after the settlement of a 2013 Clean Air Act lawsuit. Yet the units were retired more than two years earlier than originally ordered, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/colstrip-steam-electric-station-units-1-and-2-to-retire-300865486.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">based on<\/a> rising fuel costs and a failure to create economic viability for the owners. Another lawsuit filed against the Rosebud Mine concluded that an environmental analysis completed for a region now being permitted by the Trump administration was flawed, and the district court judge ruled that Rosebud\u2019s permit did not adequately consider climate change or hydrological impacts.<\/p>\n<p>Now the approval of an Environmental Impact Study, repeatedly delayed by the Biden administration, has allowed mining in a crucial region of the Rosebud Mine to continue. Mining was initially estimated to stop in October, according to the Department of the Interior, but under President Trump, the mine\u2019s longevity will continue until 2039.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis new authorization ensured that Rosebud Mine could expand its operations,\u201d in an area \u201cwhich contains approximately 4,200 additional acres with about 33.75 million tons of federal coal,\u201d according to the department. NorthWestern Energy, which will become the plant\u2019s majority owner next year, would not comment on whether energy production will increase at the Colstrip plant, and Jon Heroux of Westmoreland, the owner of the Rosebud Mine, does not anticipate an increase in coal yield. But Heroux stressed the importance of the area because of its higher quality coal. <\/p>\n<p>NorthWestern will acquire a majority of the plant at zero cost after Washington state passed the Clean Energy Transformation Act, forcing the exit of Washington-based <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtonstatestandard.com\/2024\/08\/04\/northwestern-to-acquire-more-of-colstrip-while-other-utilities-unload-coal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Puget Sound Energy<\/a> by the end of 2025. \u201cWe are happy to find a partner in NorthWestern and for the future of the Colstrip plant to be in Montana\u2019s control,\u201d said Ron Roberts, the company\u2019s senior vice president of energy resources, in a statement last year.<\/p>\n<div id=\"current-issue-block_0222cfca292cfb581bbb2b6babe2ff49\" class=\"current-issue  float-l-w-2\">\n<h4 class=\"current-issue__title\">\n                    Current Issue<br \/>\n            <\/h4>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/issue\/december-2025-issue\/\" class=\"current-issue__cover\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1225cover-1.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of December 2025 Issue\"\/><br \/>\n    <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While in office, President Biden sought to halve national carbon emissions by 2030, a goal aided by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which invested hundreds of billions into renewables. But under Trump, changes from the executive branch and from Congress, namely through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, have undone those actions. According to some <a href=\"https:\/\/zenodo.org\/records\/15801701\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">projections<\/a>, the bill will reduce renewable energy available in 2035 by a figure larger than the amount of coal and nuclear energy produced today.<\/p>\n<p>On Donald Trump\u2019s first day back in office, he declared a \u201cnational energy emergency,\u201d blaming the Biden administration for \u201ca precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid\u201d which required \u201cswift and decisive action.\u201d In response, the administration <a href=\"https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/08\/19\/trump-admin-announces-plan-for-30-offshore-oil-lease-sales-00514387https:\/\/subscriber.politicopro.com\/article\/eenews\/2025\/08\/19\/trump-admin-announces-plan-for-30-offshore-oil-lease-sales-00514387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ramped up offshore drilling auctions<\/a> and aided other fossil fuel expansions while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/trump-administration-cancels-679-million-in-funding-for-offshore-wind-projects\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">canceling renewable energy projects<\/a> across the country. Mining plan modifications or leases allowing companies to continue or start extraction have been announced at multiple sites in Montana, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/pressreleases\/wyomings-black-butte-mine-expansion-approved-extending-operations-through-2039\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wyoming<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/pressreleases\/interior-department-advances-coal-lease-sales-alabama-utah-and-montana\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Utah, and Alabama.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Recently, the Department of Energy released $625 million to fund infrastructure improvements at America\u2019s coal plants, and the Interior Department opened 13.1 million acres of federal lands to coal leasing. This marks a cross-agency effort to invest in coal, including weakening EPA regulations regarding pollutants and wastewater.<\/p>\n<p>Through this nationwide push, tens of millions of acres of federal coal reserves will be \u201crecovered\u201d as the administration rescinds hundreds of millions in funds for renewable technology.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cta-block_12020a869e36f67c16ffe27a6c7dc8eb\" class=\"cta float-l-w-3\">\n<p>Through executive orders, Congress, and a loyalist cabinet, the second Trump administration has delivered big for enclaves of coal country like Colstrip. Once bracing for layoffs and closures, the town of 2,100 is now entering a period of relative stability as the administration rejects the progression of clean energy. But though the federal government has provided a lifeline for the fossil fuel industry, many wonder how long it can last.<\/p>\n<p class=\"is-style-dropcap\">President Trump attempted similar actions propping up the coal industry during his first term, including ending extraction moratorium on federal lands. He also considered plans to compel grid operators to buy energy derived from coal. In 2024, 66 percent of voters in Rosebud County, where Colstrip is located, cast their ballots for Donald Trump. <\/p>\n<p>Throughout Colstrip, the motto \u201cTomorrow\u2019s Town\u2026 Today!\u201d is branded across signs and banners. Parks host legions of kids playing football while relatives use public pickleball courts. A free recreation center sits a block away from a library and fire station, connected by freshly paved streets. A billowing Trump flag flies on the stretch of highway outside of the town, and many local businesses display \u201ccoal keeps the lights on\u201d posters.<\/p>\n<p>Rose Hanser, a Colstrip city councillor, said her husband worked in the Rosebud Mine as a heavy equipment mechanic until 2010, when he was eligible for retirement after working more than 25 years in a physically demanding job. \u201cIt just feels like a sigh of relief,\u201d said Hanser of the administration\u2019s pro-coal stance. Maintaining the town\u2019s coal industry was a top issue last year, according to Robert Pontius, a local construction company owner. He voted for Donald Trump three times and said that he has seen benefits to his business, which has included working with power companies during Trump\u2019s two terms. According to Pontius, the companies have \u201copened up their wallets and they\u2019re spending a bit more\u201d since the 2024 election.<\/p>\n<p>While the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects fossil fuel jobs to decrease at an annual rate of 0.2 percent until 2034, a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/e2.org\/releases\/june-25-clean-economy-works\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> showed that companies have cancelled $22 billion in clean energy projects\u2014which were expected to create 16,500 jobs in mostly Republican congressional districts\u2014during the first half of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor John Williams moved to Colstrip in 1971 and worked for the Montana Power Company during the construction of the power plant, becoming mayor in 1999 after Colstrip was formally incorporated as a town. Lines drawn during incorporation included the power plant, and have lessened the tax burden for residents. Williams called the rock \u201cburied sunshine.\u201d \u201cThere\u2019s no other industry in modern Montana that has provided as good an economic future as has coal for the last 50 years,\u201d said Williams.<\/p>\n<p>But what about the next 50 years? A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lazard.com\/media\/uounhon4\/lazards-lcoeplus-june-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent study<\/a> from the investment firm Lazard shows that the cost of fossil fuel production is higher than that of renewables\u2014even without subsidies, many of which were stripped away under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. <\/p>\n<p>Natural gas has increasingly outcompeted coal, producing around 45 percent of American energy. The challenge of countering market pressures stymied President Trump\u2019s past actions. During his first administration, fossil fuel companies shut down around 100 coal plants. More recently, Trump\u2019s Bureau of Land Management postponed a coal lease sale in Wyoming and another in Montana received only one bid, potential signs of weak market interest. Another barrier to coal expansion comes from the maintenance cost of decades-old facilities. In Colstrip, NorthWestern Energy is seeking to cover an <a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2025\/09\/19\/additional-colstrip-shares-represent-a-significant-financial-obligation-for-northwestern\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">annual $18 million operational cost<\/a> as it gains more shares in the plant.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, there are plenty of other tradeoffs Colstrip\u2019s industry has created in the region. \u201cCoal plants can be directly attributed to thousands of deaths in the US every year. They spew out heavy metals like mercury and lead and asthma-inducing gases like nitrous oxide,\u201d said Noah Rott of the Sierra Club, who referenced <a href=\"https:\/\/cns.utexas.edu\/news\/research\/coal-power-killed-half-million-people-us-over-two-decades\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">research<\/a> that links 460,000 deaths to coal plants nationally in 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>But the people of Colstrip have become wary of any environmental reporting showing the climate impacts of fossil fuels. \u201cIt was politicized when Biden put it together,\u201d said Mayor John Williams of a 2023 EPA memo which ranked one of Colstrip\u2019s units as emitting the most particulate matter\u2014including heavy metals\u2014of hundreds of plants surveyed nationwide. \u201cIt was to fit [Biden\u2019s] agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The owners of the Colstrip plant have been \u201ccutting corners out of that plant for decades and avoiding having to install industry-standard pollution control technology,\u201d said Derf Johnson, the deputy director at the Montana Environmental Information Center. Johnson believes state environmental regulators need to do more to institute pollution reduction. Colstrip\u2019s Plant received an air pollution exception waiver this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-coal-power-plants-epa-exemptions-zeldin-2cd9f2697b5f46a88ab9882ab6fd1641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a process used by similar facilities<\/a>, and a recent EPA proposal could eliminate the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, an action that mandates reporting to curb global warming, altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Southeastern Montana Development Corporation executive director Jim Atchison predicts that Colstrip could mine and burn coal for another 15 to 20 years. Atchison contrasted this view from the belief during the Obama and Biden administrations that coal was on its way out: \u201cYou could see the storm coming, but you just didn\u2019t know when it was going to hit.\u201d At the same time, \u201ccoal communities need to diversify to survive,\u201d says Atchison, who cautions that some have seen their population plummet. In Colorado, six coal powered plants face a 2031 deadline to cease operations, with companies citing stricter environmental legislation and economic instability. Elsewhere, the coal output in West Virginia, once synonymous with the industry, was down 40 percent in 2023 compared to twenty years prior.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the Trump administration is trying to find ways of meeting the power demands that we have, using an \u2018all of the above\u2019 approach and a \u2018bridge\u2019 approach,\u201d said Heroux, who says a recent uptick in energy demand the company has seen stems from AI data centers, population increases, and electronics. He says that the company has entertained discussion surrounding solar and nuclear production on reclaimed mining lands. <\/p>\n<section aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"ad fullwidth-ad contained row position-relative ad-block alignfull \">\n    <!--Ad policy starts here--><br \/>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thenation.com\/advertising-policy\" class=\"mid-ad-policy\">Ad Policy<\/a><br \/>\n        <!--Ad policy ends here--><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>Rott and the Sierra Club are critical of this \u2018bridge\u2019 approach. \u201cAn \u2018Energy Emergency\u2019 seemingly would require the Trump administration to encourage the build out of as much energy as possible,\u201d said Rott. The day after President Trump\u2019s inauguration, 15 billionaires connected to the fossil fuel industry gained over $3 billion in wealth. \u201cThis is about picking winners and losers,\u201d said Rott, \u201cand fossil fuel lobbyists are on top.\u201d<\/p>\n<section id=\"popular-block_f8c0bb69a5ff7ce8cc949ea1e6593986\" class=\"popular-articles\">\n<div class=\"swiper\">\n<p><h2>Popular<\/h2>\n<p>            <span class=\"swipe-msg\"><span class=\"sr-only\">\u201cswipe left below to view more authors\u201d<\/span>Swipe \u2192<\/span>\n        <\/p>\n<ol class=\"popular-articles__list\">\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"popular-articles__list-item swiper-slide\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Even fossil fuel economies have looked towards a similar pivot to new industry, a step that is stymied by Trump\u2019s federal push to extend the lives of drilling, mines, and plants scheduled to sunset. Jo Dee Black, of NorthWestern, said that the company \u201chas begun evaluating [small modular nuclear reactor] technology, vendors, and potential project sites,\u201d and alternative energy production, including SMRs, \u201ccould be located in the Colstrip area\u201d in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Republican state Representative Gary Parry, who represents an area including Colstrip, believes the town\u2019s future may lie in these small modular nuclear reactors. Parry, who worked in the area\u2019s coal industry and is supportive of its continuation, nevertheless passed two bills in the state legislature to send a signal that Montana is open to nuclear energy. \u201cMost of your workforce would transfer right over,\u201d said Parry of nuclear energy, pointing out that the process to capture energy is comparable to coal. His goal is to introduce these reactors to Colstrip in six years, while maintaining the coal industry. But NorthWestern Energy \u201cis not going to look at uranium or any nuclear facility until coal goes away,\u201d according to Parry.<\/p>\n<p>The Rosebud Mine no longer has to worry about federal environmental approval that may not have materialized under a Democratic administration, a development that makes environmental advocates wary. Johnson of MEIC didn\u2019t rule out a lawsuit when asked about future action in Colstrip, and the Sierra Club \u201cis committing to use whatever means we can to stop these expansion[s]\u201d of the Rosebud Mine, he said.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, Johnson believes that market forces will naturally allow renewable technologies to prevail. \u201cUnless there\u2019s an administration that wants to force coal plants to run,\u201d says Johnson, \u201cthis transition is underway. And it\u2019s really hard to stop at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-end-\" class=\"article-end \">\n<div class=\"article-end__authors\">\n<div class=\"article-end__author\">\n<h5 class=\"article-end__author-name\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/ezra-graham\/\">Ezra Graham<\/a><br \/>\n                    <\/h5>\n<div class=\"article-end__author-bio\">\n<p>Ezra Graham is a writer and high school student in Bozeman, Montana.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_incontent_2 --><\/p>\n<section class=\"collections collections--col-0\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h2 class=\"collections__title\">More from <span class=\"not-italic\">The Nation<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"collection__row\">\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/environment\/china-climate-renewable-energy-leader\/\" 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https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/china-solar-renewable-energy-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/china-solar-renewable-energy-getty.jpg\" alt=\"A photovoltaic power station in Binzhou City, Shandong province, on November 18, 2025.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>The news out of COP30 does not engender much hope, but China\u2019s embrace of renewable energy shows that climate protection makes smart economic sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/paul-hockenos\/\">Paul Hockenos<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" 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https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/snake-belem-hertsgaard-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/snake-belem-hertsgaard.jpg\" alt=\"Indigenous Activists to COP30: \u201cWe Will Fight to the Death\u201d\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Indigenous people lead COP30 protests against agribusinesses that \u201cwant to take everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/mark-hertsgaard\/\">Mark Hertsgaard<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/environment\/cop30-figueres-donald-trump\/\" aria-label=\"Global Leaders Are Glad the US Isn\u2019t Attending COP30\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/COP30-getty.jpg\" alt=\"World leaders attend a session on the energy transition on the second day of COP30 on November 7, 2025, in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>Momentum behind decarbonizing the global economy has built to the point where it is inevitable\u2014with or without the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/mark-hertsgaard\/\">Mark Hertsgaard<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/environment\/climate-fight-left-organzing\/\" aria-label=\"There\u2019s No Quitting the Climate Fight\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" 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alt=\"Protesters stage a \u201cdie-in\u201d during a rally for Climate Justice in Seoul on September 27, 2025.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>This is the worst-ever year for climate politics\u2014but the struggle is far from over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/wen-stephenson\/\">Wen Stephenson<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"collections__card   \">\n            <a class=\"collections__card-image-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/article\/environment\/lula-brazil-amazon-cop30-climate\/\" aria-label=\"At COP30, Will Lula Be a Rain Forest Champion?\"><br \/>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"collections__card-image\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-275x173.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-768x484.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-810x510.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-340x215.jpg 340w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-168x106.jpg 168w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-382x240.jpg 382w, https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty-793x500.jpg 793w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/lula-belem-cop30-getty.jpg\" alt=\"Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president, speaks during the COP30 Leaders Summit in Belem, Para state, Brazil, on November. 6, 2025.\"\/><br \/>\n        <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"collections__card-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-nation-dek article-title__dek\">\n<p>During this term, Brazil\u2019s president has reduced deforestation but he is government is pushing projects that would open up the Amazon to extractivism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"knockout \">\n                                                                            <a class=\"collections__author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thenation.com\/authors\/jonathan-watts\/\">Jonathan Watts<\/a>                                    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>        <!-- Tag ID: thenation_btf_medrec --><\/p>\n<p>\t\t        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpContentAuthor\" value=\"Ezra Graham\"\/><br \/>\n        <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"tpTags\" value=\"air-pollution,climate-change,coal-industry,energy,energy-policy,environment,environmental-activism,environmental-issues,health-and-disease,politics,republicans,society,youth,studentnation\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"c02e18c66ec63f33407491e1-text\/javascript\">\n\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('init', '233793277040432');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Environment \/ StudentNation \/ November 20, 2025 Through executive orders, Congress, and a loyalist cabinet, the Trump administration has delivered big for enclaves of coal country like Colstrip, Montana. But how long can it last? Ad Policy A power plant in Colstrip, Montana. (Ezra Graham) This story was produced for StudentNation, a program of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":310218,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12022],"tags":[6663,20135,140383,6464,3060,1175],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-310217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activist","tag-bring","tag-coal","tag-listened","tag-promised","tag-town","tag-trump"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Trump Promised to Bring Back Coal. This Town Listened. - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=310217\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump Promised to Bring Back Coal. This Town Listened. - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Environment \/ StudentNation \/ November 20, 2025 Through executive orders, Congress, and a loyalist cabinet, the Trump administration has delivered big for enclaves of coal country like Colstrip, Montana. But how long can it last? Ad Policy A power plant in Colstrip, Montana. 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