Trump orders the military to make agreements with coal power plants

""The Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy," the order reads, "shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements, or entering into any similar contractual agreements, with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve Department of War installations or other mission-critical facilities.""

""It's going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years," Trump said at the event."

""And again, with the environmental progress that's been made on coal, it's going to be just as clean.""

""proven reliability of our coal-fired generation fleet in providing continuous, on-demand baseload power.""

An executive order instructs the Secretary of War, coordinated with the Secretary of Energy, to procure power from the U.S. coal generation fleet through long-term Power Purchase Agreements or similar contracts to supply Department of War installations and mission-critical facilities. The order claims coal will be less expensive, more effective, and as clean due to environmental progress. The order emphasizes coal's supposed ability to provide continuous, on-demand baseload power, a claim contradicted by recent events in Texas where coal plants went offline and contributed to grid collapse. The action appears intended to lock the military into contracts that could outlast the current administration.

Read at Ars Technica