President Donald Trump plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to provide $700 million in funding to support and boost the coal industry as part of the administration’s broader effort to meet rising energy demand.Trump is expected to make three funding announcements in the Oval Office on Thursday to support current and future coal plants, coal export terminals, and restart existing coal plants, a White House official told the Washington Examiner. The president is expected to be joined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.The announcement is part of the administration’s broader efforts to expand the use of fossil fuels to help meet rising energy demand caused by artificial intelligence and electrification. The administration is seeking to lower energy prices hiked up by the war in Iran.
Specifically, the president will provide $425 million in DPA funding to support 13 coal plants across the country, including in West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Arizona. The president is also expected to provide $75 million in DPA funding for the construction of an export terminal, known as the West Gateway Terminal, in Oakland, California. The DPA, a 1950 law, gives the president the authority to influence domestic industries for national defense purposes.
