On February 12, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense (which he has renamed the "Department of War") to procure electricity from coal-fired power plants through long-term contracts for military installations and "mission-critical facilities." The order prioritizes projects that enhance grid reliability and on-site fuel security. Trump also announced that the Department of Energy would allocate $175 million — from funds designated in the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure bill for rural energy projects — to upgrade six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia.
At a White House ceremony attended by coal executives, miners, Republican lawmakers, and cabinet members, Trump was presented with a trophy by Peabody Energy CEO James Grech on behalf of the Washington Coal Club, a coal industry advocacy group. The trophy depicted a coal miner and was engraved "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal." Trump characterized coal as essential to national security, referenced recent winter storms as evidence of coal's reliability, and stated that the military would be "buying a lot of coal" under the new policy.
This executive order represents the latest in a series of Trump administration actions to support the coal industry, including declaring an energy emergency, opening federal lands to coal mining, allocating previous funding to coal plants, and rolling back emissions regulations. The Tennessee Valley Authority, after Trump replaced board members, voted the same day to extend the life of two coal plants previously scheduled for closure by 2035. Coal currently accounts for approximately 15-16% of US electricity generation, down from roughly 50% in 2000, with production falling by more than half between 2008 and 2023.
