Executive Order on Prioritizing Clean Coal for National Defense

White House: Fact Sheets

Published February 11th, 2026

Detected February 13th, 2026

Summary

President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Department of War to prioritize long-term Power Purchase Agreements with clean coal facilities for military installations. This action aims to ensure uninterrupted baseload power for national defense and strengthen grid reliability.

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What changed

This Executive Order directs the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Energy, to approve long-term Power Purchase Agreements or similar contracts with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve military installations and mission-critical facilities. Priority will be given to projects that enhance grid reliability, blackout prevention, on-site fuel security, and mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities. The order emphasizes the critical role of baseload power from coal for military operations, defense-industrial production, and national security, contrasting it with the perceived unreliability of intermittent sources like wind and solar.

Regulated entities, specifically coal-fired energy producers, should prepare to bid on or enter into these prioritized long-term contracts with the Department of War. While no specific compliance deadline is mentioned for the energy producers, the Department of War is directed to approve these agreements. The order signifies a policy shift towards prioritizing coal for national defense energy needs, potentially impacting future energy infrastructure investments and regulatory considerations for power generation facilities. Non-compliance by the Department of War in executing this order could be seen as a failure to uphold national security directives.

What to do next

Coal-fired energy producers should monitor opportunities for long-term Power Purchase Agreements with the Department of War.
Energy companies should review contract terms and priorities outlined in the Executive Order for potential alignment.
Legal and compliance teams should assess implications for existing and future energy contracts related to defense installations.

Source document (simplified)

Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet

The White House

February 11, 2026

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL DEFENSE WITH RELIABLE COAL POWER: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Department of War to prioritize long-term Power Purchase Agreements with America’s beautiful, clean coal fleet to ensure military installations and critical defense facilities have uninterrupted, on-demand baseload power.

The Order directs the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, to approve long-term Power Purchase Agreements or similar contracts with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve Department of War installations and other mission-critical facilities.
Priority will be given to projects that enhance grid reliability and blackout prevention, on-site fuel security, and mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities.
ENSURING A RESILIENT GRID: President Trump is committed to strengthening the electric grid and believes that beautiful, clean coal plays a critical role in ensuring reliable energy, national security, and economic stability.
Baseload power and a reliable grid are vital to powering military installations, operations, defense-industrial production, and ensuring the safety of the American people; any prolonged disruption threatens operational readiness and national security.
It is imperative that the Department of War strategically utilize America’s vast coal resources that have proven reliability in providing continuous, on-demand baseload power.
Intermittent sources like wind and solar are unreliable in extreme weather, leaving the grid and our defense installations that rely on them vulnerable to interruptions in power.
MAKING AMERICA ENERGY DOMINANT: President Trump believes it is vital for America to be energy dominant and energy secure.
On the campaign trail, President Trump warned, “you have a grid system in this country that’s obsolete and a disaster,” underscoring his urgency to act.
On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to ensure that the Administration can bring all available authorities to bear to improve the integrity of our Nation’s electrical grid.
He is revitalizing America’s beautiful clean coal industry in order to provide Americans with access to reliable, affordable power and support the thousands of American jobs that depend on the industry.
In April 2025, President Trump signed a series of Executive Orders to designate coal as a mineral, lift barriers to coal mining on Federal lands, and grant regulatory relief from burdensome Biden-era restrictions on certain coal-fired power plants.
President Trump’s actions have stopped the closure of 17 gigawatts of coal power and resulted in new investments and build of affordable, baseload power generation across the country.
President Trump is cutting red tape and rolling back regulations that hinder coal, oil, and natural gas production.
Last summer, the Administration renewed the charter for the National Coal Council (NCC)—a Federal Advisory Committee terminated during the Biden Administration—and convened its first meeting just last month.