Donald Trump to Give Coal Industry Another Massive Handout — via Department of Defense

Donald Trump has a handful of clear areas of focus in his second term as president. One of those is to force old, polluting, expensive fossil fuel power plants on the American people. And he’s taking it to new extremes this week.

“Based on reporting, today Donald Trump will give away hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to coal plants and mandate that the Department of Defense must enter contracts to buy electricity from coal-fired power plants,” the Sierra Club wrote earlier today. “While the cost of electricity for everyday families is rising at double the rate of inflation, reports show that 91 percent of renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels like coal. As a part of his pro-coal and anti-public health agenda, Trump’s Department of Energy has also illegally bailed out six coal plants scheduled for retirement and his Environmental Protection Agency has unlawfully exempted more than 68 coal plants from lifesaving mercury pollution safeguards.”

Yes, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels now. It’s also cleaner and protects human health, compared to coal and natural gas power plants. Donald Trump and his administration are forcing people to pay more for electricity to support the coal industry. How ridiculous is that?

And forcing the Department of Defense to buy expensive coal power? How insane!

“Donald Trump will also receive an award as the ‘Undisputed Champion of Coal’ by the Washington Coal Club today.” Seriously.

“Americans are already grappling with soaring energy costs and a massive affordability crisis. Rather than helping people with their crippling electric bills, Donald Trump is illegally bailing out his coal industry buddies with precious taxpayer dollars,” added Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Laurie Williams. “As energy bills and hospital bills stack up for everyday families, Americans have one man to blame: Donald Trump—the undisputed champion of expensive energy and deadly pollution.”

We must have one of the stupidest political leaders across the world, and one of the most fossil-captured corrupt administrations. We match the petrolstates of the world with how much fossil fuels influence government policy now. So much for being a leading innovator taking the world into the future!