The Obama administration is preparing to announce large scale changes in the way federally - owned coal is mined and sold in the United states , including a moratorium on some new coal leases and a review of how consumers are paying for coal mined from government lands . The moves — which are certain to draw fierce opposition from the coal industry — appear to be aimed at addressing a contradiction in federal energy policy , which simultaneously promotes the sale of federally - owned coal even as it seeks to limit greenhouse - gas emissions from burning coal . Hundreds of millions of tonnes of federally - owned coal are purchased by private companies each year . Most of the coal is used in US electricity generation , though some is sold overseas .
The Obama administration is preparing to announce large scale changes in the way federally-owned coal is mined and sold in the United States, including a moratorium on some new coal leases and a review of how taxpayers are compensated for coal taken from government lands. The moves—which are certain to draw fierce opposition from the coal industry —appear to be aimed at addressing a contradiction in US energy policy, which simultaneously promotes the sale of federally-owned coal even as it seeks to limit greenhouse-gas pollution from burning coal. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of federally-owned coal are mined by private companies each year. Most of the coal is used in US electricity generation, though some is sold overseas.