Coal leases on federal lands in Wyoming may raise as much as $21.3 billion from bids and royalty payments after an auction this year, the Interior Department said Tuesday.
Powder River Basin tracts cover 7,441 acres and hold about 758 million tons of low-sulfur coal, according to a statement. Almost half the revenue from sales will go to the state of Wyoming, the department said.
“We’re moving forward with coal leasing opportunities,” U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday at a news conference in Cheyenne. “Wyoming is at the heart of coal production in America.”
Wyoming provides almost 40 percent of the fuel used by U.S. coal-burning power plants. It’s more popular than coal from the eastern U.S. because it contains 15 times less sulfur and leads to fewer emissions of greenhouse gases, according to the statement.
The anticipated sales will be held May 11, June 15, July 13 and Aug. 17, the department said.
