Trump signs executive orders supporting US coal industry

• President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Tuesday intended to support the U.S. coal industry. These actions will reportedly involve using emergency powers to keep certain aging coal plants operational.
• The orders also direct federal agencies to identify and prioritize coal reserves on public lands, lift Obama-era restrictions on coal mining and end the moratorium on new federal coal leases.
• The Trump administration argues these steps will stabilize energy prices and meet rising electricity demand. Critics warn the move undermines clean energy progress and harms public and environmental health.

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President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders Tuesday, April 8, aimed at bolstering the U.S. coal industry. These actions reportedly invoke emergency powers to keep select aging coal-fired power plants operational.

“We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on beautiful clean coal once and for all,” Trump said of the move. “All those plants that have been closed are gonna be opened if they’re modern enough, or they’ll be ripped down, and brand new ones will be built.”

What will Trump’s executive orders do for the US coal industry?

These facilities, previously scheduled for retirement, would remain in service to help meet growing electricity demand in the United States, driven by the expansion of data centers, artificial intelligence technologies and electric vehicles.

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In addition to maintaining power generation capacity, the executive actions will instruct federal agencies to identify coal reserves on public lands, prioritize coal leasing and remove existing mining restrictions. The orders will also end a moratorium on new federal coal leases put in place during the Obama administration and direct agencies to reverse policies that supported a transition away from coal production.

Why is the Trump administration doing this?

The move seeks to reverse the decline of coal usage in U.S. electricity generation. Coal accounted for 45% of the nation’s power supply in 2010, but that figure dropped to around 16% in 2023 due to its often replacement by cheaper natural gas.

What happens next?

Environmental groups have expressed opposition to the proposed actions, citing concerns about coal’s environmental impact and economic viability. They also argue that a renewed focus on coal could slow the country’s transition to clean energy and lead to higher long-term energy costs.

“Coal is a disaster for our health, our wallets and the planet,” Jill Tauber, vice president of litigation for climate & energy at Earthjustice, said. “President Trump’s efforts to rescue failing coal plants and open our lands to destructive mining is another in a series of actions that sacrifices American lives for fossil fuel industry profit. Instead of investing in pollution, we should be leading the way on clean energy.” 

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Meanwhile, the Trump administration has asserted that previous efforts to phase out coal contributed to rising energy prices. Officials say the new orders are intended to ensure more affordable power for American consumers.