Trump orders Pentagon to buy power from coal plants
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the “Coal Champion” event at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered the Department of Defense to purchase energy from coal plants; it was his latest effort to revitalize an industry that has struggled to compete with cheaper energy sources.
Trump signed executive order at a White House event he attended Peabody Energy CEO James Grech. The order instructs the Pentagon to enter into long-term power purchase agreements with coal plants for military installations.
“We will now be purchasing a lot of coal through the military,” Trump said. Peabody’s shares rose 4% in extended trading.
The president also said he directed the Department of Energy to provide funds to keep coal plants open in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky.
Trump declared last April that coal was essential to the national and economic security of the United States. At that time, he issued many executive orders aimed at increasing coal production.
The coal industry has been in decline for years as it struggles to compete with natural gas and renewable energy. About 16% of the US electricity generation Obtained by burning coal in 2023, down from 51% in 2001, According to the Energy Information Administration.
