WASHINGTON–President Donald Trump was presented with an award on Wednesday, naming him the “undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal,” on behalf of coal miners across the country.
James Grech, the CEO of Peabody Energy, presented Trump with the award in the East Room of the White House, shortly before the president signed an executive order directing the Department of War to prioritize buying power from America’s coal industry.
“To show our appreciation, the trophy says the ‘undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal,’” Grech noted, to a standing ovation from those in attendance, including coal miners.
Trump then signed the order, which the White House notes instructs the Department of War “to prioritize long-term Power Purchase Agreements with America’s beautiful, clean coal fleet to ensure military installations and critical defense facilities have uninterrupted, on-demand baseload power.”
The White House said in a release:
The Order directs the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, to approve long-term Power Purchase Agreements or similar contracts with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve Department of War installations and other mission-critical facilities.
Priority will be given to projects that enhance grid reliability and blackout prevention, on-site fuel security, and mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities.
Just before signing, Trump joked, “We don’t use autopen” in a jab at his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Trump touted that since he returned to office, a typical miner saw their real wages increase by $2,200, a bump, he added, that has not happened in nearly three decades.
“The most important people here today are those who get their hands a little bit dirty to keep America running at full speed: our frontline coal workers. And I’m pleased to report that in the first year of my presidency, real wages for the typical miner increased by more than $2,200,” he said.
“And I’ll give you the bad news, it’s the first time that that’s happened in more than 27 years,” he added. “Those other presidents didn’t take good care of you.”
According to the president, his administration has also approved more than 70 permits for new mining projects, after Biden approved none throughout his term.
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