Trump plans $700 million coal aid package using emergency powers for coal plants and export terminal

President Donald Trump intends to use the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era law, to send roughly $700 million to aid coal facilities. The package would fund upgrades at more than a dozen coal-fired power plants, help finance two new coal plants, and support construction of a West Coast coal export terminal. The administration frames this as a national security move to ensure electricity for AI data centers and reduce reliance on other countries. Environmental groups strongly oppose the plan. Patrick Drupp of the Sierra Club called it a taxpayer-funded subsidy for a polluting industry and said the group would challenge it in court. The announcement could come as early as Thursday at a White House event focused on what the administration calls 'beautiful clean coal.' The move raises questions about the cost of propping up coal versus investing in cleaner alternatives.