President Donald Trump signed several executive orders Tuesday to support the coal industry, blaming past Democratic regulations for its decline. However, state and local officials, along with electric grid operators, have identified coal’s escalating cost as a significant factor in its downturn.
Maryland’s sole remaining coal station, Talen Energy’s 1.3-gigawatt Brandon Shores plant, will remain operational past its scheduled shutdown. This extension results from a deal between grid operator PJM, the company, state officials, and the Sierra Club. Despite the plant’s financial inefficiency, PJM argued it is essential for grid reliability, costing Maryland ratepayers nearly $1 billion.
David Lapp, Maryland Office of People’s Counsel leader, stated the plant’s closure was a market decision, not influenced by climate policies, as noted in reports.
The shift to cheaper energy sources such as natural gas and renewables has reduced coal’s contribution to U.S. electricity from over 50% in 2000 to about 15% today. Concerns about grid reliability have arisen in states like Utah, where the Intermountain Power Agency plans to switch a major coal facility to natural gas and potentially hydrogen fuel, with legislative support for exploring ways to prolong coal plant operations.
Trump’s policies include potential use of the Federal Power Act to keep coal plants operational during emergencies, a power used sporadically over the past 15 years. His executive order suggests a more prolonged application to enhance grid security.
Trump also lifted coal production restrictions, provided exemptions from mercury and air toxics regulations, and directed legal actions against states restricting coal use.
Despite Trump’s defense of coal, studies attribute plant shutdowns largely to economic factors. The think tank Energy Innovation reports that 99% of U.S. coal plants are cheaper to replace with renewables than to operate.
Kit Kennedy of the Natural Resources Defense Council criticized Trump’s focus on coal, advocating for investment in modern energy solutions. Similarly, Ben Jealous of the Sierra Club doubted the success of Trump’s coal revival efforts, referencing the high rate of plant retirements during his first term.
Trump’s stance on climate change remains dismissive, repeating inaccurate statements about sea-level rise and advocating for coal’s reliability, despite widespread evidence to the contrary from organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org