As China Builds 8 Coal Plants Monthly, Trump Orders American Revival

President Donald Trump announced plans to boost American coal energy production as a strategic move to compete with China’s manufacturing advantages.

Trump declared on his social media platform his intention to “immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL.” This policy shift follows Trump’s January executive order that declared a national energy emergency.

The directive instructed federal agencies to accelerate fossil fuel production and distribution across the United States. Coal now generates only 15% of American electricity, down dramatically from over 50% in 2000.

Meanwhile, China continues an unprecedented coal power expansion, permitting approximately 8 new plants monthly since 2023. In 2024 alone, China began construction on 94.5 gigawatts of new coal capacity—the highest level in a decade—accounting for 93% of global coal plant construction starts.

China’s coal policies, including guaranteed operation hours and administered wholesale electricity prices, effectively subsidize their manufacturing sector while distorting international competition.

Coal use in China released 8.55 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, accounting for over 70% of the country’s emissions. Since 2019, global emissions would have fallen if not for China’s increasing coal consumption.

U.S. Coal Industry Faces Crossroads

Industry reports show 120 additional American coal plants will close within five years due to environmental regulations making them financially unsustainable.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed the administration’s work on a “market-based” plan to halt these closures. Officials aim to maintain existing plants and potentially restart shuttered facilities to meet growing electricity demands.

Trump’s team argues coal provides reliable baseload power that renewable sources cannot match. They claim preserving coal capacity will reduce energy costs and support increasing demand from AI-focused data centers.

The EPA will revisit Biden-era regulations restricting mercury and greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants. These rules particularly affected older facilities like the Colstrip power plant, which lacks modern pollution control systems.

Electricity demand forecasts show unprecedented growth on the horizon. Grid Strategies projects demand will rise by 128 gigawatts over five years, five times higher than estimates from just two years ago.

Data centers could drive 10-20% annual electricity usage growth through 2030. This increase, alongside manufacturing expansion and electric vehicle adoption, challenges America’s aging electrical infrastructure.

Despite the coal revival push, government forecasters expect renewables to lead new capacity additions. The Energy Information Administration predicts solar and battery installations will make up 81% of new electricity generation this year.

Global coal production hit record levels in 2024 at nearly 10 billion metric tons. Trump positions his fossil fuel strategy as crucial for “energy dominance” and national security in today’s competitive global economy.