.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
Article content
(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump will unveil plans to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain US coal-fired power plants as he seeks to drive domestic reliance on the fossil fuel.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
The marquee initiative, set to be announced Wednesday, will come through an executive order, as Trump directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into agreements to purchase electricity from coal plants to power military operations, according to a White House official.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The move is expected to tap special Cold War-era authorities under the 1950 Defense Production Act that gives the White House sweeping power to direct private industry to protect national security, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss plans that weren’t yet public. The Trump administration also contemplated a similar approach during the president’s first term in the White House.
Article content
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
The president is also set to announce the Energy Department’s plans to distribute $175 million to fund upgrades at six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia, the official said. The agency announced the available funding last year, casting it as a bid to improve the efficiency of some coal plants and extend their operations.
Article content
Coal executives, miners and energy industry leaders are set to visit the White House as Trump makes the announcements. The steps represent the latest efforts by the president to revive a flagging coal sector more than a decade after he first campaigned on promises to put miners back to work.
Article content
Trump’s remarks will come as the Tennessee Valley Authority moves to delay the planned retirement of two coal-fired power plants. Even before Trump took office, some utilities had sought to keep coal plants running longer that anticipated. That shift has only become more pronounced with support from Washington and surging electricity demand driven by the energy-hungry artificial intelligence industry.
Article content
Article content
Trump has been an unabashed enthusiast for coal since his first presidential campaign in 2016, when he donned a helmet and pantomimed shoveling coal before pledging to a cheering West Virginia crowd that he would put miners back to work.
Article content
But Trump’s first-term efforts to revive mining largely stalled, especially amid a clamor in recent years for cheap natural gas and solar power and mounting concerns about global warming driven by the combustion of fossil fuels. Now, Trump’s support for coal is intertwined with his bid to both win an artificial intelligence race against China and assuage Americans’ concerns about rising electricity bills before the midterm elections in November.
Article content
The planned Wednesday event evokes a ceremony Trump held with miners and energy industry leaders last April, when he signed a raft of measures meant to expand mining and domestic coal consumption.
Article content
Beyond the pomp and circumstance at the White House, the Trump administration has moved to extinguish federal support for renewable power projects that compete with fossil fuels and regulations that hiked the cost of coal plant operations.
English (US)