A diamond is a piece of coal that never gave up. Don’t be afraid of pressure; remember, pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond.
The above quote for Coal as Black Diamond holds true for Donald Trump , the craziest and boldest president United States of America has ever seen has now decided to revive the US coal industry by declaring coal as a “critical mineral”.
This move aims to boost domestic coal production, increase exports, and support the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers.
Key Objectives
- Restart Coal Leasing on Federal Land: Trump’s executive order directs the Interior Department to expand coal leasing on federal lands, which could lead to increased coal production.
- Designate Coal as a Critical Mineral: This designation would elevate coal’s strategic importance, making it eligible for benefits and support similar to other critical materials.
- Promote Coal Exports and Technology: The administration plans to facilitate international agreements for US coal exports and accelerate the development of coal technologies.
Rationale Behind the Move
- Energy Security: Trump argues that coal is essential for national and economic security, particularly in meeting the rising electricity demands of AI and data centers. –
- Job Creation and Economic Growth: The coal industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and adds tens of billions of dollars to the US economy each year.
- Reducing Reliance on Imports: By promoting domestic coal production, the administration aims to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign energy sources.
Challenges and Criticisms
- Environmental Concerns: Critics argue that the move could undermine efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources and reduce carbon emissions.
- Market Trends: The US coal industry has been declining due to cheaper natural gas and renewable energy sources, making it uncertain whether Trump’s plan will reverse this trend.
ACHIEVING AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE
President Donald J. Trump Executive Order in reinvigorating America’s beautiful clean coal industry directs as follows :
- Directs the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a “mineral” under Executive Order 14241, entitling coal to all of the benefits of that prior Order.
- Directs relevant agencies to identify coal resources on Federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining, and prioritize coal leasing on those lands.
- Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge the end of the Jewell Moratorium, which paused coal leasing on Federal lands.
- Requires agencies to rescind any agency policies that seek to transition the Nation away from coal production or otherwise establish preferences against coal as a generation resource.
- Directs CEQ to assist agencies in adopting coal-related categorical exclusions under NEPA.
- Seeks to promote coal and coal technology exports, facilitate international offtake agreements for U.S. coal, and accelerate development of coal technologies.
- Calls for the Secretary of Energy to determine whether coal used in the production of steel meets the definition of a “critical material” and “critical mineral” under the Energy Act of 2020, and if so, add it to the relevant lists.
- Pushes for using coal to power new artificial intelligence (AI) data.
INCREASING DOMESTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION: President Trump believes that coal is essential to our national and economic security.
- The coal industry supports hundreds of thousands of jobs and adds tens of billions to the U.S. economy each year.
- America’s coal resources are vast, with a current estimated value in the trillions of dollars.
- Coal-fired electricity generation is cleaner than ever, yet the previous administration waged war on coal.
- Coal will be critical to meeting the rise in electricity demand due to a resurgence of domestic manufacturing and the construction of AI data processing centers.
- Supporting our coal industry will increase our energy supply, lower electricity costs, stabilize our grid, create high-paying jobs, support burgeoning industries, and assist our allies.
FUELING THE NATION: By reinvigorating clean coal, President Trump is following through on his promise to once again unleash American energy.
- President Trump: “We will develop the liquid gold that is right under our feet, including American oil and natural gas and we will also embrace nuclear, clean coal, hydropower, which is fantastic, and every other form of affordable energy to get it done.”
- This Executive Order builds on actions President Trump has already taken to bring Americans the lowest-cost energy and electricity on earth. This includes: Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement. Revoking Biden executive actions that hampered American energy production. Terminating the Green New Deal. Unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential. Declaring a national energy emergency. Reversing the pause on liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits. Cutting red tape to speed up the Federal permitting process.