CHEYENNE, WY. –  Governor Mark Gordon has responded to a judge's decision to restore a 2016 moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands. The ruling requires the Bureau of Land Management to reevaluate the environmental impacts of coal mining on federal lands before issuing any new leases. The Governor's statement follows

"This decision is a step backwards that doesn’t protect the environment and ensures consumers will pay more for energy. Enacting a moratorium at a moment when coal is badly needed to ensure a secure and reliable energy supply is wrong-headed on many fronts.

This decision is bad for Wyoming. It hurts our country’s ability to provide reliable, low-cost energy to Americans and hinders the abilities of companies to plan and invest in new technologies like carbon capture and utilization."