Image by Анатолий Стафичук from Pixabay

June 6, 2026 - Washington, D.C. – On Friday, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) released the following statement after President Trump announced plans to hand out nearly $700 million in taxpayer dollars for new and existing coal plants and a coal export terminal through the Defense Production Act.

“Trump just handed the dying coal industry $700 million in taxpayer money, and Americans will pay for it twice – once on their taxes, and again when their energy bills climb, their air gets dirtier, and their water gets less safe to drink. All to prop up the dirtiest, most expensive fuel we have, a relic the rest of the world is leaving behind.

“The administration claims we need coal to power AI data centers. Why should a family in California or Ohio foot the bill to keep coal running for the richest tech companies on the planet? This is the same administration that has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to kill clean, affordable offshore wind. If the country needs more power, the answer is already here: we have wind and solar built and ready to come online today. The only thing standing in the way is a President blocking it to keep his promises to his billionaire donors.

“Every dollar wasted on coal is a dollar that could be cutting your electric bill, creating jobs, shoring up the grid, and taking on the climate crisis. Trump chose his fossil fuel buddies over the families who’ll be paying the price. Democrats will hold him accountable for every cent. Americans deserve an energy policy that puts money back in their pockets and builds an economy that works for them, not for billionaires.”

Source: Natural Resources Committee-Democrats