President Donald Trump’s plan to build a coal export terminal in California is likely to spur legal challenges from environmentalists.As part of his efforts to boost fossil fuels in the name of exporting energy around the world, Trump last week invoked the Defense Production Act and other authorities to provide nearly $700 million in funding for new and existing coal-fired power plants and a coal export terminal in California. The DPA, a Cold War-era law, gives the president the authority to influence domestic industries for national defense purposes.The export terminal, known as the West Gateway Terminal, would be built in Oakland, California. The coal export terminal is expected to help ship coal produced in western states such as Wyoming and Utah to the Asian market.
“For too long, limited West Coast export capacity has constrained America’s ability to move coal and other energy resources to global markets,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.
“By investing in both coal generation and critical export infrastructure, including the West Gateway Terminal Project, the Energy Department is strengthening U.S. energy security, reinforcing strategic supply chains, and advancing American energy dominance,” Wright continued.