Washington, June 5: President Donald Trump is expected to make significant announcements regarding coal plants in the near future, according to a White House official. These announcements will focus on preserving existing coal-fired power plants, increasing coal exports, and supporting new coal generation projects.
On Thursday afternoon, measures will be discussed in the Oval Office, which will include federal funding to extend the life of older coal plants, assistance in constructing a long-delayed coal export terminal in California, and funding for new coal generation projects in the U.S.
Joining President Trump will likely be Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Gelden.
A White House official informed news agencies that these initiatives could create and support over 14,000 jobs across the coal, construction, rail, and maritime sectors. Additionally, they could save approximately $50 billion in new costs associated with electricity generation.
The largest portion of the package allocates $425 million under the Defense Production Act to support 13 coal-fired power plants nationwide.
The White House stated that this funding would help facilities invest in upgrades that would extend their operational life, strengthen grid reliability, and assist in keeping electricity prices low during periods of increased demand.
The supported plants are located in West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
U.S. government officials noted that this funding would also benefit the coal mines supplying fuel to these plants, which are situated in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wyoming, North Dakota, and New Mexico.
In a second announcement, Trump is expected to allocate $75 million in Defense Production Act funding to assist in the construction of the West Gateway Terminal in Oakland, California.
The White House indicated that this long-delayed project will commence this summer and is expected to start coal exports by the summer of 2028.
According to government estimates, the terminal will operate around the clock and manage over 12 million tons of American coal annually, translating to more than $1 billion in exports each year.
The government anticipates that this project will create over 1,400 on-site jobs and thousands more in Western America, including miners, railway workers, port workers, engineers, and construction workers.
Coal-producing communities in Wyoming, Utah, and other Western states are expected to benefit from increased export demand as production ramps up to supply foreign markets.
The third part of the package includes approximately $200 million in grant funding from the Department of Energy, which will aid in constructing two new coal-fired power plants in Alaska and West Virginia, as well as restarting a coal plant in Maryland.
According to the White House, these will be the first new coal plants built in the U.S. since 2013.
Government officials stated that participating companies will invest an amount equal to or greater than the federal funding, bringing the total investment in the projects to approximately $386 million.
The White House also estimated that keeping existing coal plants operational would preserve around 12,500 jobs related to coal. Officials noted that investments in coal-fired electricity generation would help maintain baseload power capacity and promote employment in industries associated with power stations, coal mines, and coal-derived products.
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