Curated News Summary

Trump boosted half of US coal plants with taxpayer dollars and ‘free passes to pollute’, report says

Source: The Guardian Published Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:00:42 GMT
Trump boosted half of US coal plants with taxpayer dollars and ‘free passes to pollute’, report says

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Environmental Defense Fund analysis shows administration handed out $950m and Clean Air Act exemptions</p><p>It’s a good time to be a coal plant in the US. The Trump administration has given support to almost half of the nation’s coal plants, helping them to continue operating despite economic and regulatory headwinds, according to a new <a href="https://coalcosts.edf.org/">analysis</a> by the Environmental Defense Fund.</p><p>The analysis, which looked at the 184 operating coal plants that are connected to the grid, found that 90 received support from the Trump administration through “cash handouts, free passes to pollute, and requirements to stay online past their retirement dates”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/31/trump-coal-plants-taxpayer-dollars">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.

Environmental Defense Fund analysis shows administration handed out $950m and Clean Air Act exemptionsIt’s a good time to be a coal plant in the US. The Trump administration has given support to almost half of the nation’s coal plants, helping them to continue operating despite economic and regulatory headwinds, according to a new analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund.The analysis, which looked at the 184 operating coal plants that are connected to the grid, found that 90 received support from the Trump administration through “cash handouts, free passes to pollute, and requirements to stay online past their retirement dates”. Continue reading...

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