The Trump administration seems to be doing all it can to give the coal industry everything it wants. Those efforts may not succeed, but they could keep the dying industry on life support, and soak U.S. citizens with the financial and environmental costs of doing so — unless legal challenges compel it to change…
The coal industry gave Trump a wish list. He’s checking items off it.
Brief
The article by Jeff St. John (Canary Media, 2026-07-29) describes how the Trump administration is moving to enact policy changes that mirror requests from the coal industry, potentially prolonging coal’s decline while transferring economic and environmental burdens to the public. It notes uncertainty about success and highlights legal challenges as the main check on these efforts.
Why it matters
Canary Media (Jeff St. John, 2026-07-29) reports the Trump administration is actively implementing policies that align with a coal-industry wish list, aiming to extend the sector’s viability.
Key details
- Those measures could keep a declining coal industry on ‘life support’ and shift financial and environmental costs to U.S. citizens, though legal challenges may still block or reverse some actions.