The Trump administration is stepping up its push to reinvigorate the U.S. coal industry as it pursues its goal of boosting energy security.
Last week, the Department of Energy announced that it would provide $175 million in funding for projects to modernize, retrofit and extend the useful life of six coal-fired power plants that serve rural and remote communities.
The agency said the move is intended to keep dependable sources of energy online, while also strengthening the reliability of the electric grid and keeping electricity costs low for American households and businesses.
The funding came from a previously announced $525 million plan to extend the life of coal plants and increase efficiency, as the administration views modernizing existing plants as a fast and cost-effective way to provide reliable power while preserving high-wage energy jobs.
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“For years, previous administrations targeted America’s coal industry and the workers who power our country, forcing the premature closure of reliable power plants, and driving up electricity costs,” said Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
“President Trump has ended the war on American coal and is restoring common-sense energy policy. These investments will keep America’s coal plants operating, keep costs low for Americans, and ensure we have the reliable power needed to keep the lights on and power our future,” Wright added.
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The coal-fired power plants that were selected as part of the $175 million project include:
- Appalachian Power Company’s facilities in Letart and Winfield, West Virginia
- Buckeye Power’s plant in Brilliant, Ohio
- Duke Energy Carolinas’ plants in Sauaratown Township, North Carolina
- Kentucky Utilities Corporation’s facility in Ghent, Kentucky
- Monongahela Power Company’s power plant in Maidsville, West Virginia
- Ohio Valley Electric Corporation’s plant in Cheshire, Ohio
Electricity demand is surging amid the artificial intelligence (AI) race, as data centers that consume vast amounts of energy become a bigger drain on the grid.
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The Trump administration’s push to boost coal as a part of the nation’s energy mix comes after years of decline as coal power plants closed. Coal’s decline came amid the rise of natural gas and renewable energy sources as energy sources.
Data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that coal’s total output for electricity generation peaked in 2007, when it was the source of 2,016 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.
That figure declined to 675 billion kilowatt-hours as of 2023, when coal’s share of electricity generation was 16.2%. Coal last generated over half of the nation’s electricity in the early 2000s and peaked as a proportion of the energy mix in the 1980s.
Natural gas surpassed coal as the country’s largest source of electricity in 2016, and EIA data showed natural gas generated 43.1% of the nation’s electricity in 2023.
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