The Trump administration rolled out a package of policies yesterday to extend the life of coal plants and expand mining. (Reuters)
DOE will put up $625M to upgrade existing coal plants, while Interior will open 13.1M acres of federal land for new mining and lower royalty rates for operators.
EPA will roll back dozens of pollution standards, including limits on CO₂, mercury, wastewater, and other emissions that have made coal more expensive to run.
Backdrop: Coal plants supplied half of US power 25 years ago, but they generated just 15% last year. More than 100 units are slated to close by the end of President Donald Trump’s term, though officials say demand from AI data centers could slow retirements.