Washington: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the US military to enter into power purchasing agreements with coal plants, arguing the move would strengthen grid resilience and national security.
“I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements, ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power,” Trump said at a White House event before signing the order on Wednesday (local time).
“We’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now,” he added. “It’s going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.”
Trump described coal as “the most reliable, dependable form of energy that we have,” saying it had proved its worth during recent winter storms. “Coal generation surged 31 per cent, while solar and wind totally collapsed,” he said.
The President also framed coal as vital to strategic industries. “Coal is also critical to our national security, vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence,” he said.
Industry leaders at the event welcomed the move. Jim Grech, CEO of Peabody Energy and chairman of the National Coal Council, said recent policy changes had restored confidence in mining communities.
“We saw the impact of your wise policy in real time during the recent winter storm,” Grech said. “The coal plants you directed to keep open provided the stability and resilience that the grid needed.”
Grech added that the administration’s actions had sent “a powerful message” that coal remained central to the nation’s energy mix.
The executive order signals a shift toward deeper integration between energy production and defence procurement. By linking military purchasing agreements to coal-fired generation, the administration is emphasising grid stability as a national security priority.
(IANS)
