The owners want to close this Colorado coal plant. The Trump administration says no

"President Trump ran for office promising to restore a future for coal in the U.S. He now has new hardware confirming his status as a top industry ally: a trophy hailing him as the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal." Trump received the statue a bronze coal miner bearing a pickax from an industry lobbying group earlier this month, just before signing an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase additional electricity from coal plants."

"'We're going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now,' Trump said. 'It's going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.' The order marks the Trump administration's latest move to boost the coal industry. Over the last two decades, utilities have closed hundreds of coal-fired power plants in favor of cheaper options like wind, solar and natural gas. The shift has cut U.S. carbon emissions and air pollution."

"But since returning to office, the administration has issued emergency orders to keep eight coal units operating past their planned retirement dates, arguing their closure would raise power bills and threaten grid stability. Environmental groups and several states have challenged the orders, saying the retirements are part of a planned transition, not a crisis. Now, the administration is also facing pushback from two Colorado utilities, which say the federal government's order is both unnecessary and unconstitutional."

President Trump campaigned on restoring coal and received a bronze trophy titled "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal" from an industry lobbying group. He signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase electricity from coal plants, saying the purchases will be cheaper and more effective. The administration has issued emergency orders to keep eight coal units operating past planned retirements, citing potential higher bills and grid risks. Utilities have closed hundreds of coal-fired plants over two decades in favor of wind, solar and natural gas, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. Two Colorado utilities are suing, calling the federal order unnecessary and unconstitutional, and Harvard's Ari Peskoe said the actions amount to commandeering private property.

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