President Trump continued this week to announce the opening of hundreds of coal power plants in the United States to promote competition with China.
“After years of captives of environmental extremists, madmen, activists and thugs, allowing other countries, especially China, to gain a huge economic advantage by opening hundreds of all coal fire power plants, I authorize my government to immediately start producing energy with beautiful, clean coal.” Post on social media on Monday.
Although the post is not linked to any specific policy plan or document, it has arrived as the White House aims at various environmental agencies and clean energy programs. In the last week alone, the government announced plans A large number of retreat regulations Manage coal production and possible Up to 65% of scientists and researchers lay off In the Environmental Protection Agency, etc.
Coal accounts for about 16% of the country’s electricity generation – down from 50% in 2000, as natural gas and nuclear and renewable energy grow, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Despite its relatively cheap production, coal is considered the dirtiest fossil fuel and comes with considerable environmental costs, including releasing particulate air pollution, almost twice as much as CO2 as natural gas.
Among coal-related items reconsidered by EPA Mercury and air toxic standards – Regulations that limit the largest U.S. plant emissions, which burn coal and oil into heated water, creating steam and electricity.
According to the EPA’s website, the standard “realizes significant health and environmental benefits by reducing a wide range of hazardous air pollutants.” But the agency now says the standards “for inappropriate coal-fired power plants” and should be reviewed again.
“The EPA needs to adopt common sense regulations to power a great comeback in the United States, rather than continue to destroy the last government’s path to destruction and poverty,” the agency said in a statement last week. “At the EPA, we are committed to protecting human health and the environment; we oppose closing clean, affordable and reliable energy for American homes.”
Zeldin said the standards set by the Biden administration will allow the EPA to exceed $790 million between 2028 and 2038. As his EPA challenges these standards, his agency is considering a two-year compliance waiver for affected power plants as it runs through the rulemaking process.
U.S. top environmental agencies also announced a review of regulations last week Manage the disposal of coal ash – By-products of burning coal in power plants. Selding said the EPA hopes to prioritize a coal ash program that will speed up the permitted review and put coal ash regulations more comprehensively in the hands of the state. The agency will similarly review rules that extend federal coal ash regulations to unregulated areas that manage coal ash, such as inactive power plants.
Selding said the upcoming changes in the agency will strengthen the U.S. as an energy leader and save millions of Americans. “President Trump fulfilled his promise to unlock energy advantages and reduce the cost of living,” he said. “We will do our best to power the great American comeback at the EPA.”
The proposed changes, along with the president’s social media posts, highlight the Biden administration’s clean energy initiative, including its Promote green infrastructure and Electric cars.
According to 2026, the United States is already expected to shut down half of its coal-fired power capacity. Report From the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
But Doug Burgum, secretary of the Ministry of Interior Tell Bloomberg News last week Now, the government is looking for ways to restore closed coal-fired power plants and prevent others from closing. Burgum and other officials said keeping factories online can help reduce energy costs for U.S. consumers, among other benefits.
Burgum also told Bloomberg that the administration hopes to eliminate the Biden administration’s “attack on American energy” by reducing the traditional Chinese tape festival and empowering the country to participate in an AI arms race with China. AI Data Center Requires a lot of energywhich may come from coal or other sources.
Trump’s social media posts show that the renewed focus on coal is part of the power role targeting China, which relies on cheap coal for its manufacturing and economic expansion. About 60% of China’s power comes from coal, which leads to some Worst air pollution and the world’s particulate matter.
That said, while China continues to rely heavily on coal, it has also begun investing in solar and wind power. It seems that the United States may be heading in the opposite direction.
Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom went to China to help Promote global cooperation in climate change and model California policies on clean energy and pollution reduction. Last week, the Trump administration recommended a key purpose for a scientific understanding of fossil fuels – greenhouse gases are the main by-product of burning coal, Harm to human health and the environment – Can be reconsidered.
