Environment and Energy
Met coal receives critical materials status
Written by Kristen DiLandro
May 30, 2025
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has added metallurgical coal to the nation’s list of “Critical Materials”.
The move follows met coal’s designation as such in announcement by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on May 22. The details are spelled out in May 29 entry in the Federal Register.
Met coal is defined as critical material under the Energy Act of 2020. President Donald Trump in an April 8 executive order, titled “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” asked the secretary of energy to determine whether coal meets the definition of a critical material.
Wright asserts that the role of met coal in domestic steel production is the DOE’s primary driver for adding it to the nation’s Critical Material’s list. He also noted that adding met coal is essential to realizing Trump’s policy goals, including the president’s vision for American steel dominance.
“Metallurgical coal is more than a fuel—it is a cornerstone of our industrial base. By designating metallurgical coal as a critical material, we are ensuring that American steel, generated by American coal, remains the backbone of our manufacturing sector,” Wright said.
The DOE states that, according to the Energy Act of 2020, a critical material is “any non-fuel mineral element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines: (i) has a high risk of supply chain disruption; and (ii) serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy; or a critical mineral, as defined by the Secretary of the Interior.”
Met coal is required for producing coke, which is used as a reactant and as fuel for steel production in a blast furnace. The DOE website highlights that 70% of US steel is made in electric arc furnaces. EAFs use anthracite coal, which is not a metallurgical coal.
Kristen DiLandro
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