Nearly half of America’s operating coal plants have received some form of help from the Trump administration, including direct taxpayer support and exemptions from federal pollution limits, according to a new Environmental Defense Fund analysis.
The review covered 184 coal plants connected to the grid and found that 90 benefited from federal backing. That support included $950 million in taxpayer money for 24 plants and Clean Air Act exemptions from toxic pollution limits for 70 plants. The EDF said the administration also helped keep plants online past their planned retirement dates.
Environmental advocates say the moves have slowed the decline of an industry already under pressure from aging equipment, stricter pollution rules and competition from cheaper sources of power. They argue the policy choices do more than keep coal alive. They also keep communities exposed to harmful emissions.
Plants at the center of the fight
At the center of the latest dispute is the Colstrip plant in Montana, one of the nation’s oldest large coal facilities. The plant has operated for more than four decades and has long drawn criticism from nearby communities, including the Northern Cheyenne reserva...