A coal industry advisory council that works with the Trump administration is calling on the U.S. Department of Energy to step in with financial support — including loans and grants — to keep existing coal power plants running and help build new ones.
President Trump, who has made reviving the American coal industry a priority, brought back the National Coal Council last year after it went dormant during the previous administration. The council’s membership includes top executives from coal companies Peabody Energy, Warrior Met Coal, and Core Natural Resources.
At a formal meeting held in Washington, the council presented 19 separate recommendations to the administration. Among the top requests was financial assistance through the Department of Energy, including grants and loans for coal plants and their supply chains.
The council also urged the federal government to enter into power purchase agreements and increase investments in coal-related infrastructure.
The DOE’s lending arm — now operating under the name the Office of Energy Dominance Financing — was previously used by Democratic administrations to fund emerging clean energy ventures, including solar and wind power projects, electric vehicles, and electricity transmission systems.
The Department of Energy had not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the council’s push for agency financing directed toward coal plants.
Among the other recommendations, the council called for identifying and eliminating regulatory, financial, and other obstacles that stand in the way of constructing new coal facilities.
On the production side, U.S. coal output grew by roughly 3% last year, reaching approximately 528 million tons, driven by rising electricity demand and higher natural gas prices. The uptick in American coal use contributed to an increase in global carbon emissions.
The council additionally urged the Environmental Protection Agency to complete the rollback of greenhouse gas rules affecting both new and existing coal plants, and asked the Department of the Interior to simplify the federal coal leasing process.
Coal was responsible for generating around 17% of all electricity produced in the United States in 2025, a slight increase compared to the year before.
