WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday said it would open 13.1 million acres (53,013.8 square kilometers) of federal land for coal leasing, as the Trump administration seeks to reverse the decline of the fuel's use.

President Donald Trump signed executive orders in April to increase coal output, in one of his many actions that run counter to global efforts to cut carbon emissions.

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Coal-burning plants generated about 15% of U.S. electricity in 2024, a fall from 50% in 2000, according to the Energy Information Administration, as fracking and other drilling methods have hiked natural gas output. Solar and wind power growth has also cut coal use.

The coal workforce has sunk to about 40,000 from 70,000 a decade ago.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will make the announcement at an event on coal at the Interior Department on Monday, alongside Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and an Energy Department official.

Burgum said in a statement that the effort will strengthen the U.S. economy and create jobs.

Chris Wright, the U.S. energy secretary, told Reuters last week he expects most of the nation's coal-fired power plants to delay retirement to help deliver electricity needed to fuel artificial intelligence.

Last month, Wright extended his emergency order to keep a Michigan coal plant running, even though the plant's operator had been planning to shut permanently for economic reasons.

Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, predicted that 38 coal plants scheduled to close through 2028 would remain open, either on Trump orders or voluntarily.

Analysts, however, have been skeptical about a long-term U.S. boost in the use of coal as the economics have shifted in favour of less carbon-intensive fuel.

"Coal may see a temporary boost from regulatory relief, and some investors may profit in the short term," Frank Holmes, CEO and chief investment officer of U.S. Global Investors, wrote after Trump's orders. "But in the long run, I think the writing is on the wall."