On Monday, the Trump administration announced a comprehensive strategy to boost coal mining and consumption, a move with significant global implications given coal’s status as the leading contributor to climate change.
For years, coal’s dominance in the United States has waned, with its use plummeting since 2005 as more affordable and environmentally friendly alternatives like natural gas, wind, and solar power gained traction.
However, in a bold effort to make coal more economically viable, the Interior Department declared it would open 13.1 million acres of federal land for new coal mining operations and lower the royalty fees for extraction. Simultaneously, the Energy Department committed $625 million to modernize aging coal power plants nationwide, a measure intended to prolong their operational lives despite a trend of rapid closures.
Further cementing this shift, the Environmental Protection Agency revealed plans to dismantle numerous Biden administration regulations designed to control carbon dioxide, mercury, and other harmful emissions from coal facilities. Additionally, a costly wastewater pollution limit for power plants, previously deemed burdensome by the industry, is slated for revision.
During the announcement at the Interior Department, a familiar scene unfolded: miners in hard hats formed a backdrop as administration officials echoed President Trump’s preferred descriptor for coal: “Clean, beautiful coal,” a phrase he now expects all employees to use when discussing the fossil fuel.
These policy changes followed President Trump’s recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, where he stated that the U.S. was prepared to supply any nation with “abundant, affordable energy,” including natural gas, oil, and coal. Trump has consistently championed the coal industry since his 2016 campaign, often appearing alongside coal miners.
Historically, coal-fired plants accounted for nearly half of America’s electricity. However, by last year, this figure had dropped to a mere 16 percent. Since the mid-2000s, hundreds of coal plants have been decommissioned as energy providers shifted towards natural gas, wind, and solar. Escalating air and water pollution regulations have further driven up the cost of burning coal. The coal mining sector itself, known for its severe environmental impact and health risks like black lung disease among miners, has also been subject to stricter federal oversight.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, asserted that the coal industry had been “under assault,” attributing its decline to what they termed an ideological war waged through environmental regulations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, during a morning interview, further dismissed criticism by claiming coal was merely “out of fashion” with urban elites.
Notably, the term “climate change” was conspicuously absent from the hour-long coal event. Officials instead framed coal as an indispensable economic resource, with Secretary Burgum stating, “In addition to drill, baby, drill, we need to mine, baby, mine.”
The true extent to which the Trump administration can revive the industry remains uncertain. However, a recent surge in electricity demand, driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence and data centers, has already led utilities to postpone the closure of over 50 coal-burning units, as reported by America’s Power, a leading industry group. With the administration easing pollution restrictions, even more coal plants might continue operating or increase their output.
The administration has already taken unusual measures to support coal operations. In June, the Energy Department intervened with an emergency order to keep a Michigan coal plant running beyond its planned closure, even without requests from the local utility or grid operator. The financial burden of this extension is anticipated to be passed on to consumers.
Secretary Wright has suggested that similar emergency orders might follow. Despite these efforts, over 100 coal plants are still scheduled for retirement by the end of President Trump’s current term.
During a recent interview at The New York Times’s Climate Forward event, Secretary Wright articulated the administration’s policy: “I think this administration’s policy is going to be to stop the closure of coal plants, most of them cooperatively working with utilities.”
During Monday’s announcement, Under Secretary for Energy Wells Griffith cited an Energy Department study suggesting that the U.S. power grid would face an elevated risk of blackouts if numerous coal plants were decommissioned. However, this study has drawn significant criticism from clean-energy advocates and several Democratic-led states, who argue it presents an overly bleak outlook on the capacity of rapidly expanding sources like wind, solar, batteries, and natural gas to stabilize the national power grid.
Holly Bender, Chief Program Officer at the environmental advocacy group Sierra Club, condemned the administration’s actions, warning they would exacerbate air and water pollution and lead to higher electricity costs. She stated, “The Trump administration’s reckless actions announced today will hurt the American people, all to prop up the aging and outdated coal industry.”
Despite its strong promotion of fossil fuels, the administration has simultaneously moved to curb the expansion of wind and solar power across the country, dismissing these renewable sources as unreliable and overly reliant on weather conditions.
Globally, coal power is experiencing growth, particularly in China and other nations. The International Energy Agency reported that global coal demand hit a record high last year, though it anticipates a plateau in demand in the near future.
Secretary Burgum justified U.S. investment in coal by pointing to international trends, specifically China’s aggressive expansion of coal power. He argued, “China is absolutely the number one user of coal and they are aggressively adding more power. Our nation can lead in technology but if we don’t lead in electrical production, we’re going to lose the A.I. arms race.”
Interestingly, while China increases its coal consumption, it also leads the world in renewable energy development. Just last week, China declared its first-ever intention to begin reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.