Rewind to 1306: King Edward I of England, witnessing London choked by coal smoke and its populace suffering from pollution and unrest, issued a royal decree banning the burning of coal. This act is widely regarded as one of history’s first environmental laws.
Fast forward over seven centuries, and we find a startling parallel: President Trump is on a mission to resurrect the struggling United States coal industry.
Just recently, his administration unveiled a comprehensive strategy designed to ramp up both coal mining and its combustion, alongside a significant rollback of environmental regulations previously put in place to curb pollution.
This strategy involves several key actions: The Interior Department plans to open up 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal mining and lower the royalties mining companies would pay. Simultaneously, the Energy Department will allocate $625 million to modernize existing coal plants nationwide, aiming to prolong their operational lives despite a recent trend of rapid closures.
Adding to this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to scrap numerous regulations established by the previous administration that aimed to limit carbon dioxide, mercury, and other harmful emissions from coal facilities. The EPA also plans to revise a costly wastewater pollution regulation, a move welcomed by the industry.
These initiatives follow an explicit declaration from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who stated that a core policy of this administration is to halt the ongoing closure of coal plants.
While these measures could temporarily prolong the operational life of certain coal facilities, they also intersect with a period of escalating energy demand, fueled partly by the proliferation of new data centers for artificial intelligence. Already, over 50 coal-fired power plants across the country are slated to operate beyond their initial retirement dates.
However, many experts believe these efforts are unlikely to alter coal’s long-term decline, as it continues to be outcompeted by more affordable and environmentally friendly energy alternatives like natural gas, solar, and wind power.
Coal’s Unwavering Decline
Globally, coal combustion remains the largest single contributor to climate change, yet it still ranks as the world’s second-largest energy source, trailing only oil, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
While coal’s share in the U.S. electrical grid has diminished over recent decades, it continues to be a primary energy source for other major nations, notably China and India.
China, the world’s leading coal consumer, is still constructing new coal-fired power plants. Nevertheless, President Xi Jinping recently informed the United Nations of his country’s commitment to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. China has, in recent years, been actively pursuing clean energy technologies as part of a gradual transition away from coal.
The Shrinking Landscape of U.S. Coal
Secretary Wright previously argued that extending the operation of coal plants is vital for grid stability and for keeping electricity costs down for American consumers.
He stated, “If you can prevent a blackout and prevent electricity prices from going up, I’m all in to do that.”
However, reports from earlier this year indicated that some grid operators expressed reluctance to keep these plants online, largely due to concerns that the operational costs would ultimately burden consumers.
President Trump has consistently championed coal miners, and on a recent Monday, he publicly instructed government employees to refer to coal as “clean, beautiful coal.”
Despite this rhetoric, the number of coal miners in the American workforce is in steep decline. Currently, only about 40,000 individuals are employed in coal mining in the U.S., a significant drop from approximately 70,000 just a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This reduction in the workforce mirrors a broader trend: a dramatic decrease in U.S. coal-fired power plants. Over a decade ago, the “Beyond Coal” campaign, spearheaded by the Sierra Club and Bloomberg Philanthropies, aimed to retire most of these plants, and their efforts have largely been successful.
Indeed, in 2013, the Energy Information Administration reported around 518 coal-using plants. Today, that number has dwindled to just over 200.
Even Secretary Wright conceded that the overall decline of coal would not be reversed. However, he emphasized that given the current surge in electricity demand, the Trump administration believes coal still plays a crucial role, despite its known environmental consequences.
He clarified, “You won’t see a lot of coal plants being built. But we’re trying to protect American consumers, to have affordable electricity. And we want data centers to be able to locate here. We want semiconductor manufacturing to come back here. We want aluminum and steel production to come back to the United States. That takes energy.”
Image: The John Amos Power Plant, a coal-fired facility in Winfield, W. Va.
Floods
Government Shutdown Threatens Disaster Preparedness
A potential government shutdown is coinciding with crucial deadlines for disaster preparedness funding and federal flood insurance, which could leave thousands of Americans vulnerable to flood losses and halt numerous real estate transactions.
The National Flood Insurance Program, which provides essential coverage for most Americans against flood damage, is scheduled to expire at midnight on Wednesday, coinciding with an anticipated federal government shutdown due to a funding impasse.
This program covers over $1 trillion in assets for approximately 4.5 million homeowners, renters, and businesses. A lapse in congressional authorization would prevent policy renewals, leaving many exposed to severe financial risk from future floods. — Scott Dance
Climate Politics
Pope Leo’s Anticipated Climate Address
While Pope Leo XIV has previously spoken on climate change with brevity and force, his upcoming address at a climate conference on Wednesday is expected to be his most comprehensive statement on the issue to date.
This speech will be closely scrutinized, as it commemorates the 10th anniversary of “Laudato Si,” a landmark papal document by his predecessor, Pope Francis. That encyclical effectively modernized the Catholic Church’s doctrines to address climate change directly.
The encyclical called upon Catholics for a “profound interior conversion,” encouraging them to re-evaluate consumer culture’s impact on planetary health. — Max Bearak and Elisabetta Povoledo
In Their Own Words
“Next year could be a pretty dreadful year for E.V.s in this country.”
This stark prediction comes from Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley’s automotive industry analyst, uttered at a recent firm conference.
The outlook is dire as federal tax credits for electric vehicles expired this month. Industry reporter Neal E. Boudette details the anticipated fallout for the EV market.
Boudette reports that “sales of electric models are expected to plummet in the last three months of the year and then remain sluggish for some time.” He adds, “since most automakers other than Tesla are not yet making money on these cars, lower sales should also mean smaller losses.”
In Case You Missed It
Three Charts Demystifying Climate Change
Image: A video still suggesting a visual explanation of climate trends.
During his recent United Nations address, President Trump criticized wind turbines, environmentalists, and global allies, downplaying the severity of climate change. Somini Sengupta clarifies the realities of climate change using three insightful charts.
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The European Union has committed $638 million to boost renewable energy investments across Africa.
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Insights into why data centers often fall short on utilizing green energy sources.
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Research tracking Florida agricultural workers revealed their body temperatures frequently reach perilous levels during work hours.
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