Coal remains a vital and reliable source of energy for the United States, and the Department of Energy (DOE) is determined to keep coal plants capable of powering our grids for years to come.
Unfortunately, many coal plants are in need of modernization. So on Feb. 11, DOE announced an investment of $175 million in funding to modernize plants serving rural and remote communities. As many parts of America recently suffered heavy winter storms, no doubt the Trump administration has been able to identify which areas have the most vulnerable grids and energy supplies.
“For years, previous administrations targeted America’s coal industry and the workers who power our country, forcing the premature closure of reliable plants, and driving up electricity costs,” stated Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “President Trump has ended the war on American coal and is restoring common-sense energy policy. These investments will keep America’s coal plants operating, keep costs low for Americans, and ensure we have the reliable power needed to keep the lights on and power our future.”
In fact, according to the DOE press release, this new funding pledge is part of a much larger effort from the Trump administration, one that follows two of Donald Trump’s executive orders on revitalizing the coal industry and securing our grid. Unfortunately, without federal intervention, multiple Democrat states would be shutting down coal- and gas-powered plants purely for ideological reasons.
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The press release explained:
The projects are part of the Department’s $525 million effort to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal fleet through targeted upgrades that increase efficiency, extend plant life, and add dependable capacity using infrastructure that is already built and connected to the grid. Modernizing existing plants provides one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to deliver reliable power while preserving high-wage energy jobs, particularly across Appalachian communities that have long powered the nation.
The Biden administration focused on pushing toxic, inefficient, expensive, and unreliable "green” energy. That is the perfect recipe for catastrophe in the face of severe weather. States like Texas and California, with a significant amount of "green" energy like wind turbines, often suffer rolling blackouts.
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In contrast to the Biden administration's energy policies, the DOE emphasized coal and issued emergency orders during the recent winter storms. Not only that, but the DOE has intervened in more than one instance to keep a coal or gas-powered plant open when local Democrat politicians were trying to shut it down.
It is especially ironic that in the age of artificial intelligence — for which we already do not have the requisite energy to meet its developers' goals — wokies should be trying to sabotage our energy supply. No matter what climate alarmists say, we need coal and gas to power our country and our economy.
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