Coal enthusiast? Trump plans to revive the American coal industry this way

On February 11th, local time, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants.

“This is not only cheaper than the energy we’ve used for years, but also actually more efficient,” Trump said at the signing ceremony.

The executive order directs Secretary of Defense Hagel and Secretary of Energy Wright to sign long-term contracts with coal power plants to supply power to military facilities. A White House statement said the order will “ensure that military and critical defense facilities have uninterrupted basic power.”

However, the latest executive order signed by Trump does not specify the Pentagon’s exact procurement amounts but requires the Department of Defense to prioritize coal in long-term energy contracts. “Coal is vital to our national and economic security, and the Pentagon must prioritize the protection and strategic use of coal,” Trump wrote in the order.

Last April, Trump issued multiple executive orders aimed at increasing coal production.

“Coal Advocates”

According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), by 2025, coal-fired power will account for about 17% of total U.S. electricity generation, down from approximately 50% in 2000.

At the event, Wright stated that the department will allocate $175 million for six projects to “extend the lifespan of coal plants in rural and remote areas,” including regions in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Ohio.

During the event, Trump praised coal for maintaining power supply during recent winter storms, while “solar and wind energy completely collapsed.”

“Coal is also crucial to our national security,” Trump said. “From steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence, coal plays an indispensable role.”

Trump also compared his approach to that of the previous administration. “From day one of this administration, I ended the war on coal,” he said. “We terminated the ‘Green New Deal’ scam and withdrew from the unfair and one-sided Paris Climate Agreement. I’m not an expert in coal, but I’ve always had friendly relations with them. The quality of American coal is the best in the world.”

At the signing ceremony, the Washington Coal Club, representing the coal industry, awarded Trump a “Unquestionably Beautiful Clean Coal Defender” trophy, featuring a miner statue resembling Trump as the main element.

Trump also explained the origin of the award’s name on the spot: “The word ‘coal’ has a bad reputation, so they added ‘beautiful and clean’ in front of the award.”

Experts and Industry Insiders Question

Previously, Wright had repeatedly used emergency powers to cancel the closure plans of five large coal-fired plants, but these executive orders are now facing lawsuits from at least 15 states.

Harvard energy scholar Ari Peskoe said that delaying the shutdown of these coal plants results in “rising energy bills, with little benefit to consumers.”

“These five plants were already scheduled for retirement because they have high operating costs and cheaper energy options are available to meet consumer needs. Reopening these plants means they will have to spend millions on maintenance, rehiring workers, and more,” Peskoe explained.

A coal plant owner in Colorado stated that the Trump administration’s order to keep the plant operating is illegal. Colorado officials said in a filing to federal regulators last month that the directive amounts to unconstitutional seizure of private property, “with compliance costs directly passed on to their members and customers, who now have to pay for it.”

The owner of the J.H. Campbell coal plant in western Michigan said the plant’s daily operating cost is up to $615,000.

A study by Grid Strategies found that if the government expands the directive to dozens of coal plants planned for retirement by the end of 2028, the annual costs for these plants could exceed $3 billion.

Kelly, director of clean energy programs and chief lawyer at the Environmental Defense Fund, said that the current administration’s measures “focus on coal industry profits rather than the costs to American families and businesses.”

“This misuse of public funds will lead to increased air pollution, more asthma cases, and higher electricity bills—all to restart aging coal plants that are barely operational,” Kelly said. “Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also obstructing and canceling the cleanest and most economical energy solutions in the grid, which will further drive up costs.”

Kelly added that, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation, 99% of coal plants in the U.S. have operating costs higher than renewable energy. Another analysis by Grid Strategies found that forcing the continued operation of planned retirements could cost electricity consumers over $3 billion annually.

(Source: First Financial)