Trump vows to ramp up U.S. production of 'clean coal'
www.latimes.com
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'I am authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL,' Trump wrote in a post on social media on Monday.
President Trump this week continued to make his environmental priorities clear by vowing to open up hundreds of coal power plants in the United States in an effort to advance competition against China. "After years of being held captive by Environmental Extremists, Lunatics, Radicals, and Thugs, allowing other Countries, in particular China, to gain tremendous Economic advantage over us by opening up hundreds of all Coal Fire Power Plants, I am authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL," Trump wrote in a post on social media Monday. Though the post was not linked to any particular policy plans or documents, it arrives as the White House takes aim at various environmental agencies and clean-energy initiatives. In the last week alone, the administration has announced plans to significantly roll back regulations that govern coal production and to potentially lay off up to 65% of scientists and researchers at the Environmental Protection Agency, among other actions. Advertisement Coal accounts for about 16% of the country's electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration — down from about 50% in 2000 as natural gas and nuclear and renewable energy have grown. Though relatively inexpensive to produce, coal is considered the dirtiest fossil fuel and comes with considerable environmental costs, including the release of particulate air pollution and nearly twice the amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide as natural gas. Climate & Environment How the EPA's environmental about-face could upend California's climate efforts The agency's plan to repeal or weaken more than two dozen environmental regulations could deliver a direct blow to causes close to the heart of Californians — including air and water quality standards, electric vehicle initiatives and efforts to curb planet-harming greenhouse gas emissions. Among the coal-related items up for reconsideration by the EPA are its…