- Trump invoked the Cold War–era Defense Production Act to direct roughly $500 million ($425M for 13 coal plants, $75M for a California export terminal) and is finalizing up to $350M more to support coal projects.
- The administration frames the move as a national security play — ensuring power for AI data centers and exporting coal to Asia, with governors saying foreign demand is strong.
- Environmental groups denounce it as a taxpayer subsidy that worsens health and climate harms, while coal’s role and U.S. mining jobs have fallen sharply over recent decades.
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