President Donald Trump has officially ended the Democrats’ war on American coal by signing executive orders to save thousands of jobs and ensure the nation’s energy independence.
The orders revive shuttered plants and eliminate harmful regulations that have stifled America’s abundant domestic energy resources.
While leftist environmentalists fume, the president’s decisive action addresses the growing power demands from AI, data centers, and electric vehicles.
Standing alongside coal miners in hard hats at a White House East Room ceremony, President Trump signed four energy-related executive orders to reinvigorate America’s coal industry.
The orders use emergency authority to allow older coal-fired power plants previously scheduled for retirement to continue operations.
“We’re bringing back an industry that was abandoned,” President Trump declared at the signing ceremony. “We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on clean coal once and for all.”
The executive orders specifically target the removal of federal regulatory barriers that have hindered coal production while identifying coal resources on federal lands that can be mined.
President Trump also terminated the Jewel Moratorium, which had paused coal leasing on federal lands and effectively strangled the industry’s access to resources.
A key component of the plan involves exempting coal-fired power plants from certain federal emissions requirements for two years, giving them breathing room to operate while meeting the nation’s growing energy needs.
The president’s strategy recognizes that coal remains abundant, cost-effective, and capable of supporting increased electricity demand from emerging technologies.
The president stated:
“Today, we’re taking historic action to help American workers, miners, families and consumers. We’re ending Joe Biden’s war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all. And it wasn’t just Biden, it was Obama, and there were others. But we’re doing the exact opposite. And all those plants that have been closed are going to be opened.”
'Today, we're taking historic action to help American workers, miners, families and consumers. We're ending Joe Biden's war on beautiful, clean coal once and for all… we're going to put the miners back to work.' – President Trump🇺🇸
Make America Rich & Powerful Again! pic.twitter.com/9hbZjwCX3K
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 8, 2025
The orders also direct federal agencies to assess the potential for coal-powered infrastructure to support AI data centers, which consume massive amounts of electricity.
The administration recognizes metallurgical coal used in steel production as a potential “critical material,” so the executive actions support both the energy and manufacturing sectors.
As the president pointed out, with modern technology, coal represents “one of the great, great forms of energy.”
U.S. coal production has declined significantly since the 2000s, with 2023 production less than half of 2008 levels.
The stifling measures devastated communities in Wyoming, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Illinois.
The signing ceremony included Republican representatives, senators, and governors from these major coal-producing states.
President Trump’s orders direct the secretary of energy to speed up coal technology development and deployment, ensuring that coal will remain competitive while meeting environmental standards.
The actions also prioritize American coal exports, identifying global market opportunities that will further strengthen the nation’s economy and trade position.
