On February 11, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense to purchase electricity from coal-fired power plants—using the military as a taxpayer-funded subsidy for a dying industry. During the White House signing ceremony, Trump was presented with a trophy from the Washington Coal Club lobby group inscribed “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.” The President of the United States literally accepted an award from the industry he was ordering the military to fund.
Trump also directed the Department of Energy to distribute $175 million to upgrade six coal plants in Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned utility, announced its board voted to continue operating two coal plants that had been scheduled for closure. Trump approved over 70 new coal mining permits.
During the event, Trump referred to the Department of Defense as “the Department of War”—a name that was officially changed in 1947. He also repeatedly called coal “beautiful” and “clean,” despite coal being the single dirtiest fossil fuel and the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy produced.
This is not national security policy—it's a fossil fuel industry bailout disguised as one. Coal is more expensive and less reliable than renewable energy. Military leaders have consistently identified climate change as a national security threat. Forcing the Pentagon to buy coal power makes the military less efficient, costs taxpayers more, and enriches Trump's political allies in coal country—all while the rest of the world moves toward clean energy.