A new executive order signed by President Trump partners the coal industry with the Department of War for national security. The order, signed on Wednesday, aims to ensure that the nation’s electric grid is reliable.
“Given our Nation’s vast coal resources and the proven reliability of our coal-fired generation fleet in providing continuous, on-demand baseload power, it is imperative that the Department of War (DOW) prioritize the preservation and strategic utilization of coal-based energy assets,” the order explains. “Coal generation ensures that military installations, command centers, and defense-industrial bases remain fully powered under all conditions — including natural disasters, or wartime contingencies. Maintaining this capability is a matter of national security, strategic deterrence, and American energy dominance.”
Under the order, War Secretary Pete Hegseth will “seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements, or entering into any similar contractual agreements, with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities.” The agreements will target areas such as grid reliability and blackout prevention, fuel security, and “mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities.”
President Trump said from the Oval Office that “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.”
In September, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $625 million investment to expand the coal industry in the wake of re-industrialization and the AI race. Of the $625 million, $350 million will modernize coal power units, $175 million will support coal in rural communities, $50 million will support wastewater systems for coal plants, $25 million will provide economic flexibility for coal plants, and another $25 million will be used for testing natural gas co-firing systems.
