Trump may tout coal as clean, but experts say there's no such thing
Summary
President Donald Trump announced over $700 million in federal funding to upgrade and build coal power plants in the United States, including support for exports. Experts say there is no such thing as “clean coal” because burning coal produces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and causes pollution harmful to health and the environment.Key Facts
- The Trump administration plans to spend $425 million to upgrade 13 existing coal plants and $75 million on a coal export terminal in California.
- An additional $185 million will fund two new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia and restart one in Maryland.
- The Defense Production Act of 1950 is being used to allocate these funds.
- Experts and government data show coal is a major source of carbon dioxide, a gas that causes global warming.
- Coal burning also produces pollution that harms lungs, causes acid rain, and damages the environment.
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology tries to reduce emissions but is expensive and not commonly used on coal plants in the U.S.
- In 2022, coal caused more than half of carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants.
- Many coal plants are old and costly to run compared to cheaper renewable energy sources.
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