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Signature Sponsor
By Tom Wallace October 12, 2026 - President Donald Trump’s Iran war has crippled the world’s distribution of oil, thereby creating world-wide havoc and social and economic instability. In April 2025, Trump, ignoring the advancements of more efficient, effective and inexpensive renewable energy sources, issued an executive order declaring an alleged national energy emergency.
However, his new policy was “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry.” It provides $625 million to upgrade and extend the lifetime of existing obsolete coal-fired power plants, $3 billion to $6 billion to reduce toxic exhaust and opens 13 million acres of federal land for coal mining leases.
Also, the Environmental Protection Agency indicated it would repeal dozens of regulations established by the Biden administration intended to curb carbon dioxide, mercury and other pollutants from coal plants. It also revised regulations limiting wastewater pollution from power plants that industry found costly.
It is unclear how the Trump administration can revitalize the coal industry. During his first term, about 100 coal power plants closed as utilities switched to natural gas, wind and solar power. While coal plants once generated nearly half of America’s electricity, they produced only 16% in 2024.
According to a 2025 Congressional Research Service report, from 2000 to 2012, coal consumption in the United States remained approximately 1 billion tons per year. But, by 2024, consumption had declined to 400 million tons, a 64% reduction since 2007.
Statista reported, from 2010 to 2020, U.S. coal-mining jobs declined from 86,057 to 42,117. And by March 2025, solar energy became the fastest expanding source of electricity at 9.2%.
The Renewable Energy Institute reported that from 2023 to 2026, America’s renewable energy landscape shifted appreciably, as solar, wind and storage batteries increased to more than 90% of the nation’s new energy capacity. Furthermore, from 2005 to 2025, U.S. solar and wind generated electricity increased from less than 1% to 19%. By 2024, wind and solar reached 17%, for the first time surpassing that of coal (15%). The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that renewable energy sources generated 26% of the nation’s electricity in 2025.
Thus, as the coal industry was collapsing, new renewable energy sources were thriving. Yet, the Trump administration rescinded billions of dollars of energy-related contracts allocated by the Biden administration. These include $7.5 billion Department of Energy Clean Energy Grants supporting 223 projects, $53 billion for wind and solar projects, $27 billion for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and $6 billion for electric vehicle and battery funding.
Trump’s irrational, politically-inspired promotion of his so-called “beautiful” coal policy also ignores renewable energy achievements of other nations. Norway is 98% renewable and Denmark expects to be almost 100% renewable by 2030.
In 2023, China became the global leader for the installation of solar and wind energy, more installations than all other nations combined. In the early 21st century, China initiated a plan to electrify its transportation and industrial sectors, resulting in the reduction of oil consumption by more than a million barrels a day. Wisely, unlike America, China understands the obvious advantages and importance of wind and solar energy.
Trump’s irrational claims that wind and solar energy are from “unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources” and that windmills interfere with radar systems are false. However, his motivation for eliminating Biden administration funding for renewable energy policies is clear. His donors comprehend and greatly fear the inevitable future of renewable energy sources substantially reducing coal and oil consumption and corporate profits. Accordingly, in 2024, at a gathering of donors at Trump’s Florida home, it was not surprising that Trump requested campaign donations of $1billion.
Trump benefits from coal industry donations. Since 2012, 90% of the coal industry’s political contributions have gone to the Republican Party.
Tom Wallace of Virginia Beach is a former vice president for academic affairs at Old Dominion University.
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