Trump is handing out public land and millions of dollars to revive big coal, sending advocates reeling

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping plan to revive the coal industry by leasing up to 13.1 million acres of public land for coal mining at reduced royalty rates and allocating $625 million to extend the lives of aging coal-fired power plants
• The coordinated measures, announced by the Departments of Interior, Energy, and the EPA, also include easing air and water pollution regulations to facilitate longer plant operations
• Environmental groups condemned the move as a direct assault on clean energy and climate progress

🔭 The context: Coal currently provides just 16% of U.S. electricity, down sharply from over 50% two decades ago, as utilities have increasingly turned to cheaper natural gas and renewables. The decline in coal has been a major driver of falling U.S. carbon emissions
• However, the administration argues coal remains a “reliable baseload” source, especially amid rising electricity demand from data centers and artificial intelligence development
• At the same time, federal restrictions have been placed on new solar and wind projects on public lands, signaling a deliberate policy shift away from renewables

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel and a leading contributor to global warming, as well as a major source of air pollutants harmful to public health
• Reviving its use risks reversing hard-won emissions reductions and undermining U.S. climate commitments
• Expanding coal mining on public lands also jeopardizes ecosystems, water resources, and Indigenous rights, while diverting public funds from cleaner and more economically competitive energy technologies

⏭️ What's next: The new leasing program and subsidies are expected to face immediate legal and political challenges from environmental groups, states, and potentially international trade partners
• The policy could also complicate U.S. participation in global climate negotiations, where coal phaseouts remain central to decarbonization efforts
• Utilities and investors may hesitate to embrace the plan, given broader market trends favoring renewables and natural gas over coal
• The coming months will test whether the administration can translate its coal-first rhetoric into enduring market shifts

💬 One quote: “Expanding mining and spending taxpayer money on burning coal, while rolling back vital health protections, will only exacerbate the deadly pollution and rising electricity bills that communities are facing,” said Jill Tauber, Earthjustice

📈 One stat: Coal’s share of U.S. electricity has fallen to 16%, down from more than 50% in the early 2000s, highlighting the steep market-driven decline the administration is attempting to reverse

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