Trump announces $700 million in federal funds for new U.S. coal plants and upgrades to existing ones

President Trump announced $700 million in federal funding to support the struggling U.S. coal industry, including money to build the first new coal power plants in over a decade. The funds come from the Defense Production Act and from money Congress originally set aside for carbon capture technology. The plan includes $425 million to upgrade 12 existing coal plants and $350 million for new projects in Alaska and West Virginia, plus a restart of a shuttered plant in Maryland. Experts say coal plants are more expensive to build and operate than gas plants or renewables, and the share of U.S. electricity from coal has fallen to roughly 17 percent. The article notes that coal mining jobs have dropped from 173,000 in 1985 to about 40,000 today. Critics argue the funding diverts money meant for carbon capture without clear requirements for when that technology must be installed. The announcement also includes $75 million for a new coal export terminal in Oakland, California.