President Trump Signs Executive Orders To Bolster Coal Production, Use
On April 8, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at increasing coal plant production. In one order, President Trump redefined coal as a mineral so that it can benefit from a previously-signed Trump executive order using presidential wartime powers to bolster mining. (That order required federal agencies to speed up approvals for mines and prioritize mining on federal lands. With the April 8 executive order, those mandates may now extend to coal.)
Under a second executive order, the president directed the U.S. Department of Energy to strengthen the reliability and security of the U.S. electric grid and to prevent significant generation resources from leaving the grid or converting fuel sources if that conversion would result in a net reduction in accredited generating capacity.
In a third executive order, President Trump exempted dozens of coal plants from Biden-era limits on toxic substances, including arsenic and mercury, and in a fourth order, he promised to use the U.S. Department of Justice to challenge states where laws or policies inhibit coal. Specifically, that order directed the U.S. attorney general to:
- Take action against state laws and policies that burden domestic energy resource use and are unconstitutional, preempted by federal law, or are unenforceable.
- Prioritize taking action against laws and policies that address “climate change”; involve “environmental, social, and governance” initiatives, “environmental justice,” carbon or “greenhouse gas” emissions; or seek to collect carbon penalties or taxes.
- Submit a report to the White House detailing actions taken and additional recommendations to protect U.S. energy within 60 days.