White House Directs $700M to Revive Coal Plants
SkimNews Take
Emergency spending on coal under the DPA, typically reserved for critical materials, highlights how far the definition of "national security" has expanded to encompass domestic energy supply, even for fuels with declining market share.
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- White House announced $700 M of emergency spending under the Defense Production Act to support 13 existing coal plants, build two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, reopen a closed plant in Maryland, and open a coal export terminal in California.
- Coal's share of U.S. electricity generation fell from about 50 % in the early 2000s to 15 % in 2024.
- New coal plants would be the first coal plants built in the United States since 2013.
- Energy Department has previously granted large coal subsidies and admitted that its actions will raise consumer energy costs.
Why it matters: Taxpayers bear higher energy bills as the $700 M subsidy raises costs, while coal utilities receive funding to keep aging plants running, delaying the shift to cleaner, cheaper power.
