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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing the Department of War (DoW) to work directly with coal-fired power plants on new long-term power purchasing agreements, arguing the move would ensure “more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power.”
“That’s why I’m also pleased to announce that in just a moment, I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements, ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power,” Trump said.
“And we’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now, and it’s going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.”
The executive order, titled “Strengthening United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet,” states: “The United States must ensure that our electric grid … remains resilient and reliable, and not reliant on intermittent energy sources,” calling the grid “the foundation of our national defense as well as our economic stability.”
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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, left, House Speaker Mike Johnson and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin watch as President Donald Trump signs an executive order directing the military to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants during a “Champion of Coal” event, Wednesday, at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
It adds: “It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security.”
Under a section titled “Power Purchase Agreements with Federal Installations,” the order states that the Secretary of War, “in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements … with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities.”
Speaking at the White House and flanked by members of his cabinet, coal workers and GOP lawmakers, Trump framed coal as vital to defense and industrial production.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a “Champion of Coal” event in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, in Washington, D.C. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Coal is also critical to our national security,” he said. “Vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.”
He also pointed to winter storms as evidence of coal’s reliability.
“More than 200 million Americans across 35 states were impacted by the storm, and the only reason most were able to take a hot shower was thanks to the power provided by the most reliable, dependable of, and really dependable form of energy that we have,” Trump said. “And that’s clean, beautiful coal.”
Trump contrasted his approach with the prior administration.
“On day one of this administration, I ended the war on coal,” Trump said. “We terminated the green new scam and we withdrew from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord.”
He also criticized wind energy.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a “Champion of Coal” event, where he ordered the Pentagon to purchase electricity from plants and announced millions of dollars to upgrade existing facilities. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“I’m not a big fan of those crazy windmills that are all made in China,” Trump said. “You know, they’re made in China but not used by China.”
Trump said the Tennessee Valley Authority was “taking action to save two major coal plants,” naming the Cumberland Fossil Plant and the Kingston Fossil Plant.
“These two plants were slated for termination,” Trump said, “but we’re going to save over 450 jobs by keeping them going and going strong.”
Trump said he was “directing the Department of Energy to issue funds” to coal plants in several states.
“In addition, I’m directing to the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online and keep those plants open,” Trump said.
On permitting, Trump said: “In one year of Trump, we’ve already approved over 70 permits for very big, very powerful mines that are going to be with us for many, many years to come.”
Trump said coal production and generation had increased during his tenure.
“Since I took office, coal production is up by nearly 4 million tons a month after falling for decades,” he said. “Coal power generation is up by nearly 15% in my first year.”
Late in the event, Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech presented Trump with an award.
“Sir. Just to show our appreciation,” Grech said, “the trophy says the undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.”
Trump closed by returning to what he described as American energy dominance.
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“America is now the number one energy producer in the world,” he said. “We are by far number one.”
The Department of War did not immediately respond to Digital’s request for comment.
