Trump boosted half of US coal plants with taxpayer dollars and ‘free passes to pollute’, report says
Summary
An Environmental Defense Fund analysis says the Trump administration supported 90 of the 184 operating U.S. coal plants it examined through federal funding, pollution-rule exemptions, or requirements to keep plants running. The report says the support included $950 million for 24 plants and Clean Air Act exemptions from toxic-pollution limits for 70 plants; the administration later repealed the updated 2024 standards.Key Facts
- The Environmental Defense Fund analyzed 184 operating coal plants connected to the U.S. grid.
- The analysis says 90 plants received some form of support from the Trump administration.
- According to the analysis, 24 coal plants received a total of $950 million in taxpayer funds.
- The analysis says 70 plants received exemptions from Clean Air Act limits on toxic pollution.
- The EPA’s 2024 update to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards tightened pollution limits for coal-fired power plants.
- The updated standard cut the allowed emissions of fine particulate matter, including nickel, arsenic, and lead, by two-thirds, according to the article.
- NorthWestern Energy and Talen Energy, owners of the Colstrip plant, sought an exemption from the updated fine-particulate requirement.
- NorthWestern told the article that Colstrip’s pollution-control technology is state of the art and removes 99.6% of filterable particulate emissions.
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