Trump Signs Coal Executive Orders
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Business & Economics

Trump wants to use coal to power AI and data centers. Here’s why

Wired
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President Donald Trump signed executive orders on coal, the most carbon-intense fossil fuel.

The last large coal-fired power plant built in the US came online in 2013 ; coal plants are, on average, 45 years old .

In 2023 , just 16 percent of the US ’s power generation was from coal, down from 51 percent in 2001 .

Executive told lawmakers that even a big new customer like a data center wouldn’t spur the utility to buy more coal-fired power; the regulatory and financial reality, he said, favors natural gas.

Last month , the EPA rolled out a suite of attacks on a wide swath of regulations, signaling its intent to reconsider rules on power plant emissions.

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