President Donald Trump is expected to announce a roughly $700 million [1] investment to support the U.S. coal industry on Thursday.
The move signals a significant federal effort to reverse the decline of coal power and expand the domestic capacity for mining and exporting fuel.
According to reports, the administration intends to allocate $425 million [1] to upgrade 13 existing coal plants. A White House spokesperson said the money will fund upgrades to extend the plants' operational lives and support coal mines [2].
Another $75 million [1] is earmarked for the development of a coal export terminal in California. This facility would allow the U.S. to move more coal to international markets, a key goal for the administration's energy strategy.
An additional $185 million [1] is slated for other unspecified support measures. While some reports describe the total as $700 million [2], the specific breakdown of funds totals $685 million [1].
To secure this funding, the administration is utilizing wartime authority. While some sources refer to this as the Defense Prevention Act [1], others identify it as the Defense Production Act [2].
A Trump administration official said the administration is putting nearly $700 million toward coal, one of the president’s favorite energy sources [2].
The initiative focuses on bolstering a struggling industry by extending the life of aging infrastructure and increasing the overall export capacity of the country [1].
“The White House says the money will fund upgrades to extend the plants' operational lives and support coal mines.”
This initiative represents a direct intervention by the federal government to sustain a fossil fuel sector that has faced steep declines due to the rise of cheaper natural gas and renewable energy. By invoking the Defense Production Act, the administration is framing coal production as a matter of national security and industrial necessity rather than a purely commercial venture.
