I see that the U.S. is finally going to get serious about our energy infrastructure:
One announcement Trump is set to make is the allocation of $425 million in Defense Production Act (DPA) funds to aid 13 coal plants in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, per the official. Funding will also support coal mines in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The official noted that funding will enable coal plants to extend their operational life through investment in upgrades, strengthen grid reliability, and prevent electricity prices from surging with demand.
So because it’s being funded by the DPA (as it should be), there’s no haggling with Congress required. But the very next little addendum is what got me giggling:
The president is also expected to tell reporters that $75 million in DPA funding will help construct a coal-export terminal in Oakland, California, the official said.
One wonders what the Watermelons in California will think of their beloved Golden Shower State becoming a conduit for the EEEEVIL COLE to be sent out to pollute other nations’ air. Maybe their feelings will be assuaged by this:
The West Gateway project is anticipated to create 1,400 on-site jobs and support thousands more in the western states.
…not that California ever cared about those icky blue-collar jobs, though.
There’s a lot more good news, but read the rest of the thing to get it all.
I personally think that the coal-mining industry would be far better served by the elimination of most if not all of the tiresome Obama/Biden-era EPA restrictions, but that would involve Congress and we all know what horrors, foot-dragging and tantrums that would cause.
And nothing will even start construction until the next administration takes over and cancels the plans.
We all know how it goes. And hell, Trump himself does the same with plans started by his predecessors, every president or other elected official does who can.
$425 million across 13 plants and and unknown number of mines? That’s what, roughly $30 mill per plant not counting the mines. As a former engineer in the chemical industry, I can proudly state that you can’t install a fucking porta-can for less than $5 mill. $30 mill might buy a few environmental filter upgrades or possibly just pay for a partial turn-around to clean out some older equipment, but that’s not enough for any real upgrade. So $425 mill is mostly symbolic. As mentioned, rolling back some EPA bullshit would be much more valuable.
And that’s completely ignoring the fact that this has nothing to do with helping people pay their electric bills – funny how helping the power sector only happens after billionaires want their datacenters powered up.
The real power play here would be telling the people opposing the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site to go fuck themselves. Then build a true waste disposal site to pave the way for nuclear power.