Trump Orders Pentagon to Buy Electricity From Coal Plants

President Trump signed an executive order directing the Defense Department to increase purchases of electricity from coal-burning power plants and instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into long-term contracts to power military installations. “We’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now,” Mr.

Trump said at a White House event where coal executives and miners presented him a trophy labeled “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.” The Energy Department announced $175 million to upgrade six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia, and the Tennessee Valley Authority said it would postpone the retirement of its two largest coal plants.

The administration has also ordered several coal units slated for retirement to remain running and moved to roll back Biden-era pollution rules that had pushed utilities toward natural gas, wind and solar.

United States, Kentucky; North Carolina; Ohio; West Virginia; Tennessee Valley

trump, pentagon, coal plants, defense department, electricity, contracts, energy department, tennessee valley, kentucky, biden era