Trump Directs Pentagon to Purchase Electricity From Coal Plants
– President Donald Trump ordered the Department of Defense to begin purchasing electricity from coal-fired power plants, marking a renewed effort to bolster the struggling coal industry. The directive, announced at a White House event, aims to secure long-term power purchase agreements with coal plants for military installations.
“We’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now,” Trump stated, according to reports from CNBC and The New York Times. The move is the latest in a series of actions taken by the administration to revive the coal sector, which has faced significant economic challenges due to competition from cheaper energy sources like natural gas and renewables.
The order directs Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to establish these agreements, prioritizing what the administration views as a reliable, “on-demand baseload power” source. This reflects Trump’s repeated claims that renewable energy sources are unreliable, a sentiment echoed during the event. NBC Right Now reported that Trump championed “beautiful clean coal” at the ceremony.
Shares of Peabody Energy, a major coal producer, rose 4% in extended trading following the announcement, signaling investor confidence in the potential impact of the policy. Peabody Energy CEO James Grech was in attendance at the White House event.
Beyond the Pentagon’s purchases, Trump also directed the Department of Energy to issue funds to support coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and Kentucky. This financial assistance is intended to help keep these plants operational, preserving jobs and energy production in key coal-producing regions.
The administration declared coal essential to U.S. National and economic security last April, initiating a series of executive orders designed to boost coal production. However, the coal industry has been in decline for years. According to the Energy Information Administration, coal accounted for approximately 16% of U.S. Electricity generation in 2023, a significant drop from 51% in 2001.
At the event, Trump was presented with a trophy proclaiming him the “undisputed champion of coal” by industry leaders, highlighting the administration’s close ties to the sector. The move to prioritize coal comes as the administration continues to roll back environmental regulations implemented by previous administrations, including a planned scrapping of a scientific finding that greenhouse gases jeopardize public health.
The White House event took place amidst ongoing efforts to address the nation’s growing energy demands, particularly those related to the increasing power requirements of artificial intelligence technology. Trump has previously stated the need to “turbocharge coal mining” to meet these demands and compete with China in the race for energy dominance.
C-SPAN reported that the President received the “Undisputed Champion of Coal” award at the event, further solidifying his commitment to the industry. The Hill reported that Trump was scheduled to tout “clean, beautiful coal” at the White House event.
