Former President Donald Trump has signed a new set of executive orders aimed at breathing life back into the declining U.S. coal industry. The move comes as power demand rises across the country, driven by data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles.
At a White House event surrounded by coal miners, Trump called coal the “most reliable” and “powerful” source of energy. He used emergency presidential powers to allow older coal-fired power plants, some slated for shutdown, to continue operating to help meet growing electricity needs.
“We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all,” Trump declared.
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Executive Actions to Support Coal
Trump signed four major executive orders to boost coal production and consumption:
- Extended life for coal plants: Some aging coal power stations set for retirement can continue running.
- Federal land leasing: Agencies are directed to identify coal reserves and remove barriers to mining.
- Emission rule rollback: Coal plants will be exempt from federal emission rules on toxic chemicals for two years.
- State-level pushback: Trump ordered legal action against states with environmental laws limiting fossil fuel production.
Additionally, Trump created a new National Energy Dominance Council, led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The council has broad authority to streamline energy permitting, support fossil fuel investments, and cut environmental regulations.
A Return to “Beautiful, Clean Coal”
Trump, a longtime coal supporter, emphasized the energy source’s strength and reliability, saying:
“Pound for pound, coal is the single most reliable, durable, secure and powerful form of energy.”
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The president also directed agencies to overturn policies from the Obama and Biden administrations that supported the country’s shift toward renewable energy. His goal, he said, is to reopen closed coal plants or build new ones and put miners back to work.
Support and Opposition
The National Mining Association praised the orders, calling them a necessary move to avoid a power supply crisis and restore balance to U.S. energy policy. Industry leaders said the Biden administration’s environmental rules had unfairly targeted coal and threatened grid reliability.
But environmental advocates warned the move repeats failed efforts from Trump’s first term.
“Coal plants are old, dirty, uncompetitive and unreliable,” said Kit Kennedy from the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Trump is stuck in the past.”
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She argued that instead of propping up coal, the U.S. should double down on modernizing the power grid and expanding renewable sources like wind and solar.
Coal’s Ongoing Decline
Despite Trump’s support, experts note the coal industry has been shrinking for over a decade. In 2010, coal provided nearly half of the country’s electricity. By 2023, that number had fallen to just 16%, with natural gas at 43% and renewables steadily increasing.
Facilities like the Colstrip Generating Station in Montana — among the largest polluters in the nation — face massive costs to meet EPA standards. Without Trump’s interventions, plants like Colstrip could shut down instead of spending hundreds of millions on clean-up efforts.
What’s Next?
Trump’s latest move to revive coal faces significant legal and political challenges. Democratic governors like Kathy Hochul of New York and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico argue that Trump’s orders infringe on states’ rights to enforce their own climate laws.
“We are a nation of states — and laws — and we will not be deterred,” they said in a joint statement.
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As the U.S. faces a growing need for reliable energy, the debate continues: Should the country look backward to coal or forward to renewables? Trump’s executive orders may provide a temporary boost for coal, but long-term energy trends — and the climate crisis — still push toward cleaner alternatives.
