In the United States, thewar on coal is a phrase used by thecoal industry and its supporters to describe what they claim was an effort by theObama administration to impose stringent regulations on coal power in the United States and thereby make such power uneconomical.[1] Proponents of this phrase also often identify theEnvironmental Protection Agency as one of the chief entities waging this putative war,[2] althoughMichael Grunwald has claimed that the war on coal, although real, does not primarily happen at the national level but at the state and local level, and that the "boots on the ground" in the war are lawyers from theSierra Club'sBeyond Coal campaign.[3] During Obama's tenure, the Obama administration denied that they were waging a war on coal, noting the possibility of upgrading older power plants with more efficient turbines, and also pointing to the possibility ofcarbon sequestration techniques.[4]
On March 28, 2017, in announcing an executive order aimed at revoking various rules regarding carbon emissions enacted during the Obama administration, PresidentDonald Trump stated that "Ouradministration is putting an end to the war on coal."[5]
On October 9, 2017, Trump'sEnvironmental Protection Agency chief,Scott Pruitt reiterated "the war against coal is over" while announcing a move to repeal a rule ongreenhouse gas emissions.[6]
| Coal types by grade (lowest to highest) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Coal combustion | ||
| Coal mining |
| |
Note: [1] Peat is considered a precursor to coal. Graphite is only technically considered a coal type. | ||
