Donald Trump
“President Donald Trump will unveil plans to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to keep U.S. coal-fired power plants running,” Bloomberg reported, citing a White House official.
The U.S. president is expected to announce the sweeping initiative on Wednesday. By executive order, he will direct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into agreements to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants to support military operations.
In addition, Donald Trump will unveil the Energy Department’s plan to allocate $175 million to modernize six coal-fired power plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
Donald Trump is actively promoting the development of the coal industry in the country, which is one of his campaign promises.
And Europe is shutting down coal-fired power plants
This position of the US president is categorically contrary to the energy policy of the European Union.
Europe is actively pursuing a strategy of abandoning coal-fired generation to achieve climate neutrality. Most EU countries plan to close coal-fired power plants by 2030-2035, replacing them with renewable energy sources (RES). Germany plans a complete phase-out by 2038 (considering a postponement to 2030) and the Netherlands by 2030.
Romania is postponing a complete ban on coal-fired power plants, originally planned for the end of 2025, due to risks of energy shortages and the need for time to switch to gas and RES. The European Commission agreed to extend the operation of five coal-fired units (CE Oltenia) until 2026-2029 to ensure the country’s energy security and avoid €1 billion in fines.
