Trump announced the salvation of 74 coal power plants, calling coal "the most reliable and clean" energy.

On February 11 local time, Trump signed an executive order to launch the "Military Buy Coal Power" plan and loudly claimed that he had "saved 74 coal power plants."

The legal basis for Trump's executive order is the Defense Production Act. He instructed the Department of Defense to purchase coal power long-term, using military funds to prop up the industry.

At the same time, the Department of Energy allocated $175 million to upgrade six power plants in five states including Kentucky and Ohio (not all 74 plants).

"74" is a cumulative political achievement (preventing retirement), not the number of plants saved by this new policy alone.

Trump claimed that coal is the most reliable and clean energy. "Reliable" is true, as coal power share increased from 17% to 21% in the winter of 2025, serving as the main backup during extreme weather.

"Clean" is false. The share of coal power in the U.S. has dropped from 48.5% to 15% (from 2007 to 2024), resulting in a 39% reduction in carbon emissions; coal power rebounded by 12% in 2025, causing carbon emissions to immediately rise by 2%.

The real motive behind Trump's order: politics and the thirst for AI power

Consolidating the base in coal states like West Virginia for the midterm elections.

AI data center electricity consumption is expected to surge by 2028, with coal positioned as a base load power source.

Electricity has now become a bottleneck for the U.S. AI industry. China's solution is to use wind and solar power generation to provide sufficient electricity for the massive power consumption of the AI industry. However, Trump clings to fossil fuels, and in terms of new energy power development, he has been left far behind by China.

Therefore, he has always vilified wind and solar power generation, exaggerating the irreplaceability of fossil fuels. He has been mocked and criticized by the world.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1856888961126476/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.