Trump: If China's using coal, we should use coal

Trump: If China's using coal, we should use coal

In a recent statement, former President Donald Trump has advocated for the U.S. to increase its use of coal, echoing his administration's push to revive the coal industry. This comes as the Trump administration continues to propose regulatory rollbacks aimed at bolstering the coal sector.

Trump, who has been vocal about his stance on the economy, has been critical of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy. In a series of tweets, Trump expressed his desire for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates by "one full point," arguing that this would help reduce interest payments on debt. He has also called the current policy "monetary malpractice" [1].

Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced two major proposals that would weaken pollution standards for fossil-fuel power plants. The proposals include the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards and a separate one to roll back Biden-era limits on mercury and soot from coal plants. The EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, justified the moves by citing the need to meet rising power demand from artificial intelligence data centers [2].

Critics of the Trump administration's energy policy have expressed concern over the potential health impacts on local communities, particularly low-income families living near power plants. The proposed repeals could reverse decades of progress in cleaning up air pollution, which is already being threatened by frequent wildfires [2].

The Trump administration's push to increase coal use comes at a time when the global energy landscape is shifting towards renewable sources. The International Energy Agency projects that electricity demand from data centers worldwide will more than double by 2030, with artificial intelligence being the primary driver [2]. Despite this, the Trump administration has ordered two fossil-fuel plants to continue operating through the summer, citing the need to minimize generation shortfalls [2].

The proposed regulatory rollbacks aim to save power generators $1.2 billion and $120 million per year in regulatory costs. However, critics argue that the only beneficiaries of these rollbacks are the biggest emitters of toxic pollution, who do not want to invest in cleaner technologies [2].

References:

[1] https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/cpi-interest-rates/2025/06/11/id/1214462/
[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2025/06/11/trump-administration-proposes-to-slash-power-plant-pollution-limits/84151602007/