Wyoming Lawmakers Vow Legal Fight Over California Coal Terminal Bill

Wyoming's congressional delegation is accusing California of waging a political war on the state's coal industry and says it will use every available tool, including litigation, to defend mining and export access. The dispute centers on a planned coal export terminal in Oakland that California lawmakers moved to block after President Trump backed the project with $75 million through the Defense Production Act.

In an opinion piece, Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman, both Republicans, said Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last month designed to kill the terminal before it opens. The project would be the West Coast's first coal export terminal, providing a direct link between Wyoming miners and overseas buyers seeking affordable, reliable power. The lawmakers said California Democrats introduced the bill immediately after the president's announcement, and that its author described it as a way to block coal and defy the president.

The terminal had spent years working through California's regulatory and legal system, according to the lawmakers. They said the project passed environmental review, one of the most demanding processes in the country, and that hundreds of millions of dollars were invested in the site, including more than $240 million from California taxpayers. After years of litigation that developers won, the City of Oakland conceded and began advancing development, the lawmakers said. California politicians then changed the rules because they did not like the outcome.

Lummis and Hageman argued the move should alarm anyone who builds in California, regardless of their view on coal. They warned that if lawmakers can retroactively void a permit because they dislike the product or the president supporting it, no approval in the state is safe, and that other projects such as oil refineries, manufacturing facilities or housing developments could face the same treatment.

The lawmakers also pointed to Newsom's veto that same day of a separate bill that would have sped up hiring of auditors for California's high-speed rail project. They said California has spent $15 billion over 18 years without laying a single mile of track, and that a project promised to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion is now estimated at between $126 billion and $231 billion with completion not expected until 2040. They noted that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revoked $4 billion in federal grants for the rail project last year, and that Newsom sued and lost but still defends the spending.

By contrast, the lawmakers said Wyoming sits atop more than 600 years of coal reserves and faces rising demand for electricity across Asia. They argued those nations will burn coal whether California approves or not, and that the only question is whose coal. American coal, they said, offers affordable and reliable power at home and enhanced diplomatic leverage abroad.

The delegation said Wyoming will not sit quietly while California politicians attempt to shut its energy producers out of global markets. They said the state will use every tool at its disposal, including legal action, to defend its industries, and that Wyoming coal supports families and communities, strengthens national energy security and can help meet global demand. They framed the fight as bigger than coal, saying California has already driven out builders and manufacturers and now wants to export its dysfunction to every state that relies on its ports.

7Views

Author

Derek Weston

Sports Writer

Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

All articles by this author