Christian Applauds Trump Administration’s Commitment to Revitalize American Coal

Today, the Trump Administration announced its commitment to revitalizing American coal production through the U.S. Department of Energy’s $625 million investment to expand and modernize America’s coal sector. Following the news, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian said the following:

“President Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright continue to roll out sound policies – like the revitalization of American coal production – which will re-establish American energy dominance,” said Commissioner Christian. “For too long, the Obama/Biden Administration’s waged their war on coal, putting hundreds of Americans out of work, crippling our power grids and weakening our national security. But today’s announcement from the Trump Administration re-levels the energy playing field and is a win for consumers, U.S. electric grids, and America’s position as a global energy provider.” 

Christian continued, “Coal isn’t going away — it’s a critical part of our energy mix. While U.S. energy policy should be to eliminate all subsidies and let the free market compete, it’s not the reality we live in and not all subsidies are equal: coal production for power provides profits that wind and solar simply cannot. It’s cheaper, more reliable and provides vastly more baseload power per price than wind/solar. In fact, according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, ‘Wind has received 48 times more subsidies per unit of electricity generated than oil and gas, while solar has garnered a staggering 168 times more.’ With smart investments in sources like coal, we can modernize plants, cut red tape, and ensure coal remains a backbone of American prosperity for generations to come.”