WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Tuesday intended to revitalize the U.S. coal industry, responding to a recent increase in national electricity demand. The orders mark a shift in energy policy, focusing on increasing domestic coal output despite the global move toward reducing carbon emissions.
Standing alongside a group of coal miners at the White House, Trump stated, “We’re bringing back an industry that was abandoned,” adding that the administration’s goal is to “put miners back to work.”
U.S. Power Use Climbing After Years of Decline
Electricity demand in the United States is rising for the first time in decades, driven largely by the expansion of AI data centers, electric vehicles, and cryptocurrency operations—all energy-intensive technologies.
Coal’s share in U.S. power generation has fallen to less than 20%, down from 50% in 2000, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This drop has been attributed to the growth of natural gas, solar, and wind energy.
Key Directives in the Executive Orders
Trump’s orders include several initiatives aimed at reversing the decline in coal production:
- Invoking the Defense Production Act (1950) to support coal plant operations
- Tasking the Department of Energy with determining if metallurgical coal should be classified as a “critical mineral”
- Ending a federal moratorium on new coal leasing, and prioritizing leases on public lands
- Allowing private companies to resume purchasing rights to extract coal from U.S. lands
The announcement led to a nearly 9% increase in shares of major coal companies such as Peabody Energy and Core Natural Resources.
Industry and Environmental Reactions
Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association, praised the move, saying the orders highlight the “strategic value of American mined coal” and align with energy reliability goals.
However, environmental organizations voiced strong opposition. Kit Kennedy of the Natural Resources Defense Council criticized the decision, stating that coal plants are “old, dirty, uncompetitive, and unreliable.” She urged the government to invest instead in a modernized energy grid.
Coal’s Future Still Uncertain
Despite policy support, analysts remain uncertain about the actual demand for expanded coal production. Hundreds of U.S. coal-fired plants have closed in the past decade due to competition from cheaper and cleaner energy sources.
Existing coal plants currently operate at about 40% capacity, but proponents argue that deregulation could boost utilization. A similar effort during Trump’s first term to subsidize coal plants for grid reliability was rejected by regulators in 2018.
