On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at reviving the U.S. coal industry. These orders outline measures to protect coal-fired power plants and expedite coal mining leases on federal land. However, in promoting the advantages of coal, Trump misrepresented several crucial elements regarding its safety and utilization.
One of Trump’s notable claims was, “I call it beautiful, clean coal. I told my people, never use the word coal unless you put beautiful, clean before it.”
The facts reveal that while coal production has become cleaner than in the past, it remains far from clean. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), carbon dioxide emissions from the coal industry have decreased over the past three decades. Energy lobbyist Scott Segal highlighted that, “the relative statement that coal-fired electricity is cleaner than ever before is true, particularly when emissions are measured per unit of electricity produced.”
Nonetheless, research backed by the United Nations indicates that global coal production must be significantly curtailed to effectively tackle climate change. In addition to carbon dioxide, burning coal releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, contributing to acid rain, smog, and respiratory illnesses, as noted by the EIA.
Over the past 15 years, the United States has witnessed a significant transition from coal to natural gas for electricity generation, which is a primary factor in the decline of U.S. carbon emissions during this period. Coal once accounted for more than half of the nation’s electricity production, but its share fell to about 16% in 2023, down from roughly 45% as recently as 2010. In contrast, natural gas provides around 43% of U.S. electricity, with the remaining portion coming from nuclear energy and renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower.
During his confirmation hearing in January, Energy Secretary Chris Wright acknowledged that fossil fuel combustion—coal, oil, and natural gas—contributes to climate change by drastically increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which in turn warms the planet.
Regarding coal’s economic viability, Trump asserted, “It’s cheap, incredibly efficient, high density and it’s almost indestructible.”
However, the realities of coal as a power generation source suggest otherwise. New estimates from the EIA indicate that coal is one of the most expensive sources of new power generation, with new coal plants likely to produce electricity at nearly $90 per megawatt hour on average. As of now, no new coal plants are being constructed or planned in the U.S.
In stark contrast, standalone solar power without battery storage has emerged as the most cost-effective source of new power generation, with an average cost of about $23 per megawatt hour for new projects connecting to the grid by 2028. This figure includes tax credits and incentives under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which significantly lower renewable energy costs. New natural gas plants are expected to produce electricity at around $43 per megawatt hour, according to EIA estimates.
A report from the nonpartisan climate policy think tank Energy Innovation found that 99% of existing U.S. coal plants are more expensive to operate than if they were replaced with local solar, wind, and battery storage solutions. When coal plants retire, communities often begin to save money as they transition to clean energy, as pointed out in Energy Innovation’s 2023 report.
A spokesperson for Energy Innovation, Greg Alvarez, remarked in an email, “Trump has promised to cut American energy bills in half – this is yet another way he’s forcing Americans to pay more.”
Moreover, coal plants operated at full power roughly 42.4% of the time in 2023, as per EIA’s latest data. In comparison, nuclear and geothermal plants demonstrated higher reliability, operating at about 93% and 69.4%, respectively.
Trump also claimed, “The value of untapped coal in our country is 100 times greater than the value of all the gold at Fort Knox.”
However, this statement does not hold up under scrutiny. As per the U.S. Treasury, Fort Knox currently contains approximately 147.3 million troy ounces of gold, valued at around $6.2 billion. On the open market, gold was trading at about $2,990.20 per troy ounce on Tuesday, thus making its market value approximately $440.6 billion. A troy ounce, which is a weight measurement used for precious metals, equals about 31.1 grams.
As of January 1, 2024, there were about 469.1 billion short tons of coal in U.S. reserves, according to EIA estimates; however, only around 53% of that is deemed available for extraction. The estimated value of this coal is about $598.3 billion, which exceeds the total value of gold at Fort Knox but is far from the figure of 100 times that amount. Notably, a short ton, also known as a U.S. ton, is equivalent to 2,000 pounds.
Lastly, Trump claimed, “They’re opening up coal, coal plants all over Germany.”
This assertion does not reflect the reality in Germany. The country’s economy ministry reported that 18 coal-fired power plants were closed in 2024. A ministry spokesperson stated, “No new coal-fired power plants will be built,” in direct response to Trump’s claims. Furthermore, Germany has plans to phase out coal-fired power generation by the latest deadline of 2038.
While Germany temporarily brought some coal-fired plants back online in 2022 and 2023 to address natural gas shortages precipitated by the conflict in Ukraine, these plants were permitted to operate for only a limited time and were phased out by the end of March 2024, according to Agora Energiewende, a climate policy think tank based in Berlin.
This fact-check highlights the need for a careful examination of the narrative surrounding coal and its role in the energy landscape amid pressing climate concerns.
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