Trump Relaunches Coal for AI: A Move Amid Energy Necessity and Controversy | Google certification | Visual generative ai tools | Microsoft generative ai tools list | Turtles AI

President Donald Trump has signed executive orders to boost the coal industry in the United States, aiming to meet the growing energy demands of AI data centers. These measures include opening up federal lands to mining and designating coal as a “critical mineral.” However, the move has raised debates about the effectiveness of coal in the current environment and its environmental implications.

Key Points:

• Trump Signs Executive Orders to Boost the Coal Industry.
• Goal: Powering Energy-Intensive AI Data Centers.
• Coal Designated a “Critical Mineral” for National Security.
• Questions About the Effectiveness and Environmental Sustainability of the Choice.

In response to the growing need for energy to support the expansion of AI data centers, President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders aimed at revitalizing the U.S. coal industry. Among the measures adopted is the opening of federal lands to coal mining and the designation of coal as a “critical mineral” for national security. Trump has emphasized the importance of these actions, declaring that the country’s “clean coal” resources are essential to meeting growing energy demands, particularly those coming from AI data centers.

These decisions come ahead of a congressional hearing in which technology leaders, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang, highlighted the urgent need for reliable, scalable energy sources to support the expansion of AI. Schmidt emphasized the need for energy in all its forms, both renewable and non-renewable, to meet growing demand.

Despite the administration’s efforts to promote coal, the industry has seen significant decline in recent decades. Coal currently accounts for about 15% of U.S. power generation, down from nearly 50% in 2000. Many coal-fired power plants have closed or are scheduled to retire in the coming years.

Trump’s move has raised concerns among environmentalists and some technology leaders, who have long promoted the use of renewable energy. Critics argue that coal, despite technological improvements, remains a polluting energy source and is less cost-effective than renewable alternatives such as wind and solar. Furthermore, the Energy Information Administration projects that 93% of new electric capacity in 2025 will come from renewables and batteries, casting doubt on coal’s competitiveness in today’s energy market.

Meanwhile, a report from the Electric Power Research Institute indicates that data centers could consume up to 9.1% of total U.S. electricity by 2030, highlighting the need for sustainable energy solutions to support this growth.

As the Trump administration looks to coal to meet the immediate energy needs of AI data centers, questions are emerging about the long-term sustainability of this strategy, both economically and environmentally.