Statement of Ryan Alexander, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense, on release of the Council of Economic Advisors’ report “The Economics of Coal Leasing on Federal Lands: Ensuring a Fair Return to Taxpayers”:

“Today’s report confirms that the government is failing to capture a fair return for taxpayers from federal coal. For years, we have known that the problems with the federal coal leasing program, from start to finish, have led to the undervaluing of public assets and the shortchanging of taxpayers. The Department of the Interior should draw on the analysis done in this report as it conducts its review of the federal coal program. At a minimum, it should increase the royalty rate for federal coal from a maximum of 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent charged for federal oil and gas.”