Trump to Direct Pentagon to Buy Coal Power in Revival Bid (2)

Feb. 11, 2026, 4:03 PM UTC

President Donald Trump will unveil plans to use government funding and Pentagon contracts to sustain US coal-fired power plants as he seeks to drive domestic reliance on the fossil fuel.

The marquee initiative, set to be announced Wednesday, will come through an executive order, as Trump directs Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into agreements to purchase electricity from coal plants to power military operations, according to White House officials.

Although the Trump administration has previously contemplated using the Pentagon’s purchasing heft to bolster coal power — including by tapping special authorities in the 1950 Defense Production Act — this ...

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