The Unlikely Critical Mineral Powering the AI Revolution

Let me take you back.

Back to before the TikTok algorithm knew your taste in music. Before ChatGPT could write a screenplay. Before a data center could burn enough electricity to power a small nation.

Back to when coal was king.

You probably thought those days were over. That coal had been buried in the graveyard of industrial-age fossils — replaced by shinier, cleaner, trendier sources of energy like solar panels and wind farms.

You were wrong.

Because here’s what the news won’t tell you: Coal — yes, coal — is making a massive comeback. And the reason why is one of the biggest investment stories of 2025.

It’s also one of the most misunderstood.

Coal isn’t just the dirty fuel of yesterday’s factories. It’s a critical mineral, according to a recent executive order from President Trump. That puts it on par with lithium, copper, uranium, rare earths — the flashy headline-grabbers of the 21st-century commodity boom.

And here’s the kicker: Coal is the fuel that keeps the AI lights on.

The AI Boom Needs Coal — Lots of It

Everyone's buzzing about artificial intelligence. But almost nobody's talking about what makes AI possible…

Electricity. Enormous amounts of it.

Training just one large language model — like the ones used by Microsoft, Google, or OpenAI — consumes more power than 100,000 homes use in a year.

And when these models start answering your emails, generating your graphics, or powering real-time fraud detection at global banks, they don’t run on fairy dust.

They run on terawatts.

All that data has to be stored, processed, cooled, and served in real-time from energy-hungry data centers. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, data center demand in America has surged 45% year over year. And it’s only getting started.

But the U.S. grid is already under strain. Natural gas prices are volatile. Renewables are intermittent.

So guess what’s filling the gap?

Coal. Old reliable.

The “Boring” Rock That Never Left

Let me give it to you straight: Coal is the backbone of America’s energy security.

It might not be sexy. It doesn’t have the futuristic flair of fusion or the green glow of windmills. But it works. And in a world where time is money and blackouts mean billions in lost productivity — you don’t bet on chance.

You bet on certainty. And coal brings that in spades.

As of Q2 2025, coal-fired generation in the U.S. is up 14% year over year. Even as climate lobbyists pound the podium, utilities across the country are quietly postponing coal plant retirements and restarting mothballed facilities.

Why? Because when the chips are down and AI needs to stay up, coal delivers.

From Punchline to Powerhouse: Coal Named a “Critical Mineral”

In April, President Trump dropped a bombshell that shocked the global energy markets…

Coal, particularly metallurgical coal, is now a U.S. critical mineral.

That’s not just political rhetoric. That designation carries real consequences.

It means:

• Fast-tracked permitting for coal projects
• Federal tax incentives for new development
• Strategic stockpiling for national security
• Supply chain prioritization for steel, AI infrastructure, and energy production

That’s right. Coal is now on the same official list as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The very same minerals that power EVs, iPhones, and drones.

Suddenly, the black rock everyone wrote off is now the mineral equivalent of a Silicon Valley unicorn.

The U.S. Is the Saudi Arabia of Coal

While China scrambles to secure uranium from Kazakhstan, lithium from Africa, and copper from Chile — America already sits on the largest, most accessible coal reserves on the planet.

Let that sink in.

We’re talking about nearly one-quarter of the world’s recoverable coal supply.

From the Powder River Basin in Wyoming to the Appalachian seams of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, coal is one of the last energy resources where the U.S. has total dominance.

And now, for the first time in decades, we’re not apologizing for it — we’re weaponizing it.

Because, let’s face it: Energy is power.

And in the new resource wars unfolding between the U.S. and China, whoever controls the mineral inputs — whether for microchips or megawatts — controls the future.

Don’t Forget Steel: The “Other” Coal Boom

Coal’s comeback isn’t just about electrons.

It’s also about infrastructure. Construction. Manufacturing.

That’s where metallurgical coal comes in — the kind used to produce high-grade steel.

And guess what? Steel demand is exploding:

• Trump’s new “Rebuild America” initiative is pouring trillions into roads, bridges, tunnels, pipelines, and military bases.
• AI server racks, GPUs, transmission towers — they all require precision steel components.
• Defense spending is ballooning, and every tank, plane, and aircraft carrier starts with a blast furnace.

Metallurgical coal is the unseen input in all of this. Without it, there is no steel. Without steel, there is no infrastructure, no defense, no data centers.

And just like thermal coal, the U.S. has it in abundance — and now political will is aligning behind it.

The Market Is Catching On

You know the smartest money always moves before the headlines do.

And right now coal stocks are weak but have been ripping for years:

• Peabody Energy (BTU) is up 427% over the last five years
• Natural Resource Partners (NRP) is up 688% in the same period
• Meanwhile, China’s coal imports are surging, pushing global coal prices near five-year highs

Smart investors are finally realizing: AI, defense, and infrastructure are coal-intensive sectors. And the more we digitize and militarize — the more coal we’ll need to fuel it.

Trump’s Energy Doctrine: “Beautiful Clean Coal” 2.0

Love him or hate him, Trump is giving the coal industry something it hasn’t had in decades…

Unapologetic support.

• The EPA just rolled back emissions limits on gas and coal power plants, saving $1 billion in annual compliance costs.
• Federal lands have reopened to coal development, with new permitting offices springing up in key states.
• Trump’s team is reportedly crafting a coal sovereign wealth fund — similar to NatGold’s proposal — to tokenize and monetize America’s untapped coal wealth.

If that last part sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard me talk about NatGold — and how we’re leading the charge to unlock trillions in trapped mineral value using blockchain.

Well, guess what?

Coal might be next.

The Takeaway: Don’t Be Fooled by the Smoke

Coal isn’t dirty.

What’s dirty is the narrative you’ve been fed.

They told you coal was dying.

They told you solar and wind would replace it.

They told you AI was clean and green.

But the truth?

• AI is powered by coal.
• Steel is forged by coal.
• Grid reliability is secured by coal.

And coal is now a critical mineral, recognized by the highest office in the land.

The U.S. has more of it than any nation on Earth. And now, finally, we’re going to use it.

Your Next Move

If you believe in:

✅ AI infrastructure
✅ Energy security
✅ Strategic minerals
✅ National sovereignty
✅ Making serious returns before the herd catches on…

Then you need to own coal stocks, own critical mineral ETFs, and — yes — explore the opportunities in digitized coal assets as they begin to emerge.

Because in this new world of resource nationalism, deglobalization, and digital acceleration…

“Boring” is beautiful.

Coal is cool again.

And the black rock is back.

The Prophet of Profit,