Coal Boost: Trump Eyes $700 Million Support
A White House source says President Trump may announce a new plan to use the 1950 Defense Production Act for coal. The proposal would channel almost $700 million into:
- Upgrading more than a dozen power plants
- Building a large export terminal on the West Coast
- Matching corporate money for new facilities
The official spoke anonymously to avoid influencing the president’s timing and warned that details could still change.
Energy Policy as National Security
Trump’s administration frames energy policy as a national security issue, arguing that domestic data centers need reliable power and that foreign competitors who own large fossil fuel reserves must be checked. Yet coal has declined sharply in the United States: from supplying over half of electricity to now less than a fifth of generation.
Current Trends
Many utilities have shifted to cheaper natural gas and renewable sources. Concerns about climate change and fragile global supply chains have pushed the industry away from coal. The new funding would reverse that trend by investing heavily in fossil fuel infrastructure.
Funding Breakdown
- > $350 million to upgrade 13 coal plants
- $185 million to match corporate investments in facilities located in Alaska, Maryland and West Virginia
- $75 million to fund the long‑delayed West Gateway export terminal in Northern California
Bloomberg first reported the plan. If approved, the move would signal a shift back toward coal despite broader industry trends and environmental pressures.
