CHARLESTON — State officials and federal lawmakers are praising a plan from the administration of President Donald Trump to breathe new life into the waning coal-fired power industry, though opponents said the plan will do little to slow the slide away from coal.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday that it would implement a $625 million plan to halt the decommissioning of coal-fired power plants, retrofit and modernize the nation’s existing fleet of coal-fired plants.

In a statement Monday afternoon, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said it was important to keep coal-fired power plants in operation to meet the energy needs of data centers and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in commerce and the daily lives of people.

“Beautiful, clean coal will be essential to powering America’s reindustrialization and winning the AI race,” Wright said. “These funds will help keep our nation’s coal plants operating and will be vital to keeping electricity prices low and the lights on without interruption. Coal built the greatest industrial engine the world has ever known, and with President Trump’s leadership, it will help do so again.”

The plan calls for $350 million to recommission closed coal-fired power plants and retrofit all plants to operate more efficiently and add reliability to the power grid. Another $175 million would be used for coal-fired power plants in rural areas.

The plan proposes the use of $50 million to upgrade wastewater management at coal-fired power plants to extend the life of existing plants. The plan also includes $25 million for coal-fired plants to be able to switch between coal and natural gas, and $25 million to support investments into natural gas cofiring, allowing plants to switch to 100% natural gas without decreasing the efficiency and reliability of boilers.

Wright cited executive orders from Trump issued earlier this year that designated coal as a strategic asset and mineral, ending a moratorium on coal mine projects on federal lands, and exemptions for plants from having to follow certain clean air standards.

According to the state Public Energy Authority, West Virginia has nine coal-fired power plants, with coal-fired power accounting for 86% of net electricity generated in the state in 2023. West Virginia remains the second largest producer of coal behind Wyoming, accounting for 15% of U.S. coal production and 16% of the nation’s recoverable coal reserves.

The announcement was praised Monday by Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who recently announced his 50 by 50 initiative to triple the state’s generation capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050 to meet growing regional demand, particularly within the PJM grid which serves 12 other states.

“This is a major victory for both West Virginia and the United States,” Morrisey said. “I commend President Donald Trump and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright for backing West Virginia’s coal industry and supporting our ’50 by 50′ policy – which will rely heavily on coal and gas to empower our state to take the lead in securing America’s energy future and advance our position against China in the data and AI arms race.

“America needs to increase its energy production, and West Virginia has the opportunity to lead the way,” Morrisey continued. “By upgrading our existing coal-fired power plants to run cleaner and more efficiently, we can lower energy prices for consumers and build the generating capacity we need to compete with China, all while supporting the hardworking West Virginians who work in our coal and gas industries.”

The move was also praised Monday by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, the former governor of West Virginia and owner of several coal mine interests. Justice, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Energy Choice Act earlier this year, which would prohibit states from restricting access to energy production based on the type of fuel or energy source.

“President Trump and Secretary Chris Wright are right on the money with investments like this in the coal industry,” said Justice, R-W.Va. “I’ve said for a long time that we are going to face an energy crisis of massive proportions, having to choose between powering our homes or powering industry unless we act. This is smart policy in action. I’m proud of what we are getting done here with regard to energy because this $625 million investment is a massive win for our miners, our families, and America’s energy independence.”

The initiative was not praised by everyone, especially environmental groups. The Sierra Club accused the Trump administration of redirecting federal funding originally meant for clean energy programs to the fossil fuel industry.

“Rather than investing in affordable and clean energy, Chris Wright is taking taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars and giving it to wealthy executives in the coal industry,” said Laurie Williams, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “This is a transparent wealth transfer from everyday Americans, who are already making tough decisions at the kitchen table, to the millionaires that run the fossil fuel industry.”

“Hey, why not add federal taxpayer subsidies onto the hundreds of millions in losses at coal plants that West Virginia ratepayers are covering through higher bills? Just in the last two years, AEP alone lost $150 million of ratepayers’ money in West Virginia, because they ordered so much coal that they had to run their plants at losses,” said Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia.

Electricity prices for customers in West Virginia have outpaced the national average, with West Virginians paying nearly $160 per month for 1,000 kilowatts of power per month compared to the national average of $175 according to a New York Time analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

According to Energy Efficient West Virginia and other groups, the share of income for West Virginia residents going toward electric bills was approximately 50% higher than the national average in 2021. That was based in part on the state’s over-reliance on coal-fired power for electric needs.

“If Chris Wright, or anyone in Donald Trump’s administration, truly cared about bringing down the cost of electricity, they would be investing in affordable clean energy instead of taking a sledgehammer to the progress our country has made,” Williams said. “By handing out millions to the coal industry, the Trump administration is divesting from Americans’ health, from our environment, and from our path forward to a cleaner, healthier future.”

“It would be nice if federal or state elected officials would do something to help us reduce our bills and make it more reliable, instead of using their positions to give away our money to the most politically-connected industries,” Pepper said. “West Virginia has some of the least reliable electricity in the country and giving taxpayers’ money away to burn coal won’t change that because we already get more of our power from coal than any other state.”