Donald Trump plans to sign an order obliging the Pentagon to purchase electricity from coal power plants – Bloomberg reported. It's part of a broader plan to rebuild the American coal industry.
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According to Bloomberg, the presidential decree will be addressed to Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. The Pentagon is to conclude contracts for the supply of energy from coal-fired power plants that will power military operations. Details regarding the scale and terms of these contracts were not disclosed. The decision will be announced during Trump's meeting with representatives of the coal industry and miners at the White House.
Within the same package of actions Trump is expected to announce public investments worth $175 million to modernize six coal-fired power plants. The goal is to extend their operation and increase efficiency.
Coal mining
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Adam Ziemienowicz / PAP / photos
See also: A historic moment on the border with Poland. The miners do not hide their emotion
Donald Trump is betting on coal. “Beautiful and clean”
This is a continuation of the president's policy, which calls coal a “beautiful, clean” raw material. In April this year, Trump signed an executive order recognizing coal as a strategic raw material and announced actions aimed at limiting environmental regulations, increasing production and stopping the closure of mines.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced that the president would promote coal as a “America's most reliable and cheapest source of energy, especially during periods of peak demand”.
“The president will talk about how clean, beautiful coal not only provides energy for our country, but also lowers electricity bills across the United States,” Leavitt added.
See also: The end of a 142-year history. The last coal-fired power plant in the UK is closing down
Donald Trump fights windmills. AI development in the background
The administration's new initiatives are related to the growing demand for energy and the increase in its prices, which results from, among others, from the development of artificial intelligence-enabled data centers. At the same time, Trump announces the fight against alternative energy sources, including wind farms.
On Thursday, the Trump administration is expected to announce its withdrawal from the official scientific position that recognizes climate change and greenhouse gas emissions as a threat to public health. So far, this position has been the basis for introducing regulations limiting emissions, including regulations on car exhaust emissions.
During his speech in Davos, Trump referred to the topic of green energy. He described it as a “false project”. — Windmills are everywhere in Europe. And these are losers. I have noticed that the more windmills there are in a country, the more that country loses and the worse it does – assessed the US presidentwithout citing any data to support his thesis.
