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Donald Trump, President of the United States, speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on June 4 (local time) about support measures for the coal industry. Behind him stand West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey (left), Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. / Reuters Yonhap News

The U.S. administration on June 4 (local time) announced a plan to invest about 700 million dollars (about 1.08 trillion won) to support domestic coal-fired power plants and export coal to Asia.

President Donald Trump, accompanied by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Republican Governors Mark Gordon of Wyoming and Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia, explained the plan at the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., saying, “Clean, beautiful coal will help reduce living costs for all Americans.”

He invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, which grants the president broad authority over industries deemed vital to national security.

Through this, 425 million dollars (about 6.6 trillion won) will be allocated to improve 13 coal power facilities across the U.S., and 75 million dollars (about 1.2 trillion won) will be provided to support the construction of the West Gateway coal export terminal in Oakland, California.

In addition, the Department of Energy stated it is finalizing up to 350 million dollars (about 5.4 trillion won) in funding to support four coal facility development projects, including new plants in Alaska and West Virginia.

The Trump administration has pursued energy policy as a national security issue to ensure stable electricity supply for domestic artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and reduce dependence on foreign sources.

Governor Gordon, who recently visited Japan and Taiwan, reported that local leaders expressed the need for Wyoming coal to support their AI industries.

He emphasized that opening California’s ports is essential from the perspective of Wyoming, the largest coal-producing state in the U.S.

                                                                                                            Kim Hyun‑min