Coal gets permanent advisory seat at energy policy table
H.R. 3015 — National Coal Council Reestablishment Act · Filed by Michael Rulli (R-OH) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 24, 2025 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill reestablishes the National Coal Council, an advisory body within the Department of Energy that was previously dissolved. The Council will provide advice to the Secretary of Energy on coal-related matters and will operate under the same charter that governed it as of November 2021. The Council must follow federal advisory committee rules, but is exempt from automatic termination provisions.
Why we flagged it
The bill creates a permanent, industry-specific advisory council with no sunset date and no requirement for balanced stakeholder representation. It is functionally a formalized lobbying channel for coal interests within the federal energy bureaucracy, dressed in the language of advisory transparency.
What the text implies
- The exemption from section 1013 (automatic termination of advisory committees after 2 years) means the Council has no built-in sunset—it persists indefinitely unless Congress acts to dissolve it, creating a permanent institutional advantage for coal industry input.
- The charter referenced (November 19, 2021) predates the Biden administration's climate commitments; restoring that specific charter may lock in coal-friendly advisory language and priorities from a prior policy era.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
coal mining companies; coal-fired power utilities; coal industry trade associations