Coal Comeback: Trump’s Love for 'Beautiful, Clean' Coal:

Donald Trump recently signed four executive orders geared towards rejuvenating the coal industry, despite environmental concerns related to coal’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. The 45th president is using his emergency authority to let some older coal-fired power plants, which were slated for retirement, continue producing electricity.

A Boost for a Decreasing Industry:

The move is said to be a response to increasing US power demand, fuelled by growth in data centers, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles. Surrounded by miners in hard hats, Trump described coal as beautiful and clean, while promising to expedite leases for coal mining on federal lands and end perceived government bias against the carbon-focused industry.

The Contrasting Approaches:

Opponents point out that Trump’s approach significantly deviates from his predecessor, Joe Biden, who pushed for substantial carbon pollution cutbacks from coal-fired power plants last year. They warn that this could spell doom for the industry, which had been declining but is now threatened by cheaper renewable and gas options.

Standing Against The Tides:

Environmental groups are criticizing the executive orders, highlighting the steep decline of coal in the US, while renewable energy becomes a cost-effective substitute. In fact, 2023 projections showed that 99% of the existing US coal fleet costs more to keep alive than to replace with renewable-based alternatives.

Despite such criticism, Trump is convinced that coal can help cater to the nation's surging electricity need, spurred by expansive manufacturing and datacenters vital for artificial intelligence. Only time will tell if "beautiful, clean coal" manages to regroup and make a significant contribution to the US power mix.

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