US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the defence department to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants in his latest effort to boost the coal sector.
The move, which was announced at the White House as an executive order, calls for the Pentagon to form purchase agreements to buy electricity from coal-fired power plants for an unspecified amount.
The president also announced that the energy department will provide six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia with $175m (R2.78bn) for upgrades.
Utilities had been phasing out coal-fired generators, which are major sources of carbon emissions tied to climate change.
Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has promised to fast-track energy infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data centres.
Trump has declared an “energy emergency” to justify moves to keep open ageing coal plants that have been set for closure and exempt ageing coal plants from key air regulations. Trump has also removed tax incentives for wind and solar projects and his administration has slow-walked permits for renewable energy on federal land, as well as private and state lands.
On Thursday Trump is set to undo the legal underpinning of most major greenhouse gas regulations at the Environmental Protection Agency called the endangerment finding. The EPA administrator has said this will be the biggest deregulatory action in US history.
On Wednesday Trump also announced that the Tennessee Valley Authority, the country’s largest public utility, plans to delay the closure of two of its older coal-fired power plants in Tennessee.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.