Bloomberg: Trump to order revival of coal industry in the United States

U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order today to revive the ailing coal industry in the United States. Bloomberg reports this, citing a senior White House official. Bloomberg. Energy generated from coal is intended, among other things, to help power data centers in the country.

The executive order will emphasize that the United States is returning to selling coal mining rights on federal land. It will direct that coal be designated a critical mineral. It also calls for speeding up exports of U.S. coal and related technologies.

According to Bloomberg, it is unclear whether the new initiative will be enough to dramatically change the situation in the U.S. coal industry. The sector is struggling amid competition from cheap natural gas and renewable energy. Mining is also declining because of environmental regulations and concerns about climate change. It is also uncertain whether technology companies that have switched to emissions-free nuclear and renewable energy will be willing to power their data centers with coal, the agency reports.

Trump has previously pledged that the United States would use its coal resources to generate electricity for data centers and provide heat for forging steel. The president and senior administration officials have made clear that strengthening coal-fired power is a top priority. In their view, it is linked to national security and the United States’ position in the global race for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI).