Executive Order on Prioritizing Clean Coal for National Defense

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.