In his second term, President Donald Trump has pledged to reinvigorate the coal industry. But as Trump promises to bring back high-paying jobs by lifting Obama- and Biden-era regulations, rescue aging coal plants, and make key coal states thrive again, his plans may face some roadblocks along the way. This Washington Examiner series, Coal’s Comeback, zeroes in on a possible coal revival and the Trump administration’s efforts to promote it.
Anthony Sable has seen West Virginia go through some of its best and worst times.
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Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, near the Appalachian foothills, Sable’s father worked in the mines just like his grandfather. Sable is a fourth-generation coal miner and proud of it. He’s been working underground for the past 20 years. On April 8, he was invited to the White House to stand behind President Donald Trump as he signed four executive orders to revive America’s coal industry.
Republicans have blamed environmental regulations enacted during the Obama and Biden administrations for the downfall of the country’s coal industry.
States such as West Virginia were left limping after mines closed, jobs evaporated, people fled, and towns went broke. However, a new generation of West Virginians began trying to rebuild the economy from the ground up. They focused on tourism and helped fix infrastructure problems to attract investors and visitors, and it started to work.
However, in his second term, Trump has pledged to resuscitate the coal industry and bring back high-paying jobs by lifting Obama- and Biden-era regulations. Trump has promised that coal states such as West Virginia will thrive again. While many doubt it will happen, especially with automation, that hasn’t stopped hope from building.
Read more from the Washington Examiner.
Part 2: Could coal plant landfills be the answer to the rare earths supply problem?
As the United States seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign rare earths and critical minerals, an unexpected solution may lie in coal plants’ landfills.
The U.S. imports nearly all its critical minerals and rare earths, relying particularly on China. China and other U.S. competitors boast lower-cost production, greater mineral abundance, and fewer permitting challenges.
However, many officials worry about relying on other countries and adversaries for critical minerals and rare earths because they are used in various products in the energy and national security sectors.
The solution could lie in the byproducts of burning coal, also known as coal ash.
For over a century, the U.S. has burned coal to produce energy, leaving piles of toxic coal ash residue in the environment and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Coal has been supplanted by natural gas and renewable energy in recent years, but the Trump administration has sought ways to revitalize the coal industry on the basis that coal power is reliable. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to increase coal power production.
As part of the administration’s effort to promote coal, the Energy Department announced it would patent new technology for extracting minerals from coal ash. Researchers have found that the byproduct of burning coal could be a viable source of critical minerals and rare earths.
Read more from the Washington Examiner.
Part 3: Households would foot bill for Trump plan to shore up grid with coal
President Donald Trump‘s plan to rescue aging coal plants to strengthen the electrical grid would impose new costs on households, even if it succeeds in boosting the United States in the race to develop artificial intelligence and securing national security.
Following unrealized ambitions laid out in his first administration, Trump is embracing an aggressive approach with coal, calling it “essential” to ensure the U.S. has a reliable grid flowing with affordable energy. His vision would be a turn away from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, that were prioritized by the Biden administration.
Propping up fossil fuels has also remained central to Trump’s energy strategy. While cleaner energy alternatives such as solar power have been deployed in the U.S. at a record pace, renewables have yet to keep up with rising demand brought on by electrification and the data centers required for artificial intelligence and other technological applications.
Pursuing supply-side solutions to prop up grids, such as extending the life of retiring coal plants, is seemingly one of the easiest solutions for meeting those immediate needs.
But it may come with some added costs.