U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (June 4, 2026) announced he was using Cold War-era legislation to tap $700 million in funding for a slew of coal plants and mines and an export terminal.

Mr. Trump said the funds would be used to keep more than a dozen coal plants in ten states and 42 mines open, as well as to build two new coal plants and an export terminal.

The Republican said the funds would be tapped using the Defence Production Act, which was enacted in 1950 and gives the U.S. president emergency power over domestic industries.

“Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans, with the power of clean, beautiful coal,” said Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump frequently calls human-induced climate change “a hoax” and has worked since returning to power last year to wipe out a number of environmental regulations, many of which limited fossil fuel use.

Coal is the fuel that emits the highest levels of greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

Mr. Trump said the new initiative involved redirecting $200 million from climate change projects towards a coal plant in Maryland and two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia.

The new coal export terminal will be built in California with the capacity to handle 12 million tons of the fossil fuel, Mr. Trump said.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said coal was “a critical source of our electricity, also a critical source for our industry.”

New U.S. coal policy

The world built and commissioned more coal power in 2025, but used the polluting fuel less, with the United States the only major economy to substantially increase generation, analysis by the Global Energy Monitor shows.

In 2025, coal accounted for 17% of U.S. power generation, according to EIA figures.

Thursday’s announcement was Mr. Trump’s latest effort to fortify the fossil fuel.

On February 11, Mr. Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to enter into long-term supply contracts with U.S. coal power plants.

In a photo op at the White House signing of that order, the President was feted as the “undisputed champion” of coal, surrounded by miners in hard hats.

The next day, Mr. Trump repealed a 2009 EPA “endangerment finding” underpinning U.S. climate regulations. A coalition of environmental and health groups have challenged the action in court.

Global average temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels this year and for the next four years afterwards, the United Nations warned last week.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the “main culprit” of warming temperatures was humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas, which is the primary driver of climate change.