Press Releases

The White House hosted a select group of lawmakers, coal industry advocates and coal miners for a “Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal” event. U.S. Congressman and Congressional Coal Caucus Co-Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) attended this special event to support American coal and coal miners. Following the event, Congressman Griffith issued the following statement: 

“Coal communities, like those in Virginia’s Ninth District, have abundant American energy resources in their backyards. We can meet domestic electricity and industrial energy demands with American energy, all while implementing emission reduction technologies. It is essential that federal policies support and protect coal communities, not ignore or diminish them!

“As long as I am in Congress, I will continue advocating for American coal. Coal can be used to generate electricity in order to keep our factories, hospitals and schools open. It can also be used as a means to support American steelmaking. Further, as we continue to develop the best pollution control measures in the world, we can export those pollution control technologies overseas to countries that will use coal no matter what happens in the United States. Thus, we help deliver reliable, affordable energy solutions for American families and the world.”

BACKGROUND

Video of today’s White House event can be found here.

Congressman Griffith is Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus. 

In April 2025, Congressman Griffith attended a White House event where President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting the American coal industry.

Later in 2025, Congressman Griffith voted to codify one of these executive measures to reestablish the National Coal Council.

In May 2025, Congressman Griffith celebrated the Department of Energy’s announcement to designate metallurgical coal as a critical material.

Coal continues to play an essential role in meeting domestic energy demands. During the recent Winter Storm Fern, a 31% jump in coal generation helped the electric grid meet peak demand. For PJM Interconnection, which serves Virginia and 12 other states, coal accounted for a major portion of the energy generation mix.

Congressman Griffith expressed support for recent TVA actions to extend coal plant operations.

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