On Oct. 2, 2025, BLM published a notice identifying approximately 13.1 million acres of federal mineral estate newly available for coal leasing under Section 50203 of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The notice listed lands across Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.
The notice did not authorize any specific leases or development. Any company that wants to lease coal on these lands must apply through the existing “lease by application” process. Each application will be reviewed under suitability criteria and the National Environmental Policy Act before approval. Under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, BLM must also obtain consent from the relevant surface management agency before leasing coal where the surface is managed by another agency.