On September 29, the United States Department of the Interior announced that it make 13.1 million acres of public land available for coal mining, while providing $625 million “for coal-fired power plants.”
Breaking down the $625 million subsidy (Trump has denounced subsidies until now, apparently), $350 million will go to modernizing coal plants, $175 million will be provided for new coal projects, while $50 million will be contributed to “upgrade wastewater management systems to extend the lifespan of coal plants.”
“This is an industry that matters to our country,” interior secretary Doug Burgum said in a livestreamed press conference on Monday morning, alongside representatives from the other two departments. “It matters to the world, and it’s going to continue to matter for a long time.”
The Guardian
The facts would dispute Burgum’s claims. Coal only provides for 15% of American electricity as of 2024, with the United States halving production of it from 2008 to 2023. Additionally, environmentalists and researchers have found that coal pollution is responsible for $13-26 billion in additional emergency medical visits in the United States alone.
The Interior Department did not remark on the environmental costs of coal usage.
