Washington (April 8, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after President Trump signed four executive orders to boost the dying coal industry.

“Just like Trump, coal is outdated, costly, and dangerous,” said Senator Markey. “Coal is the dirtiest energy source out there, both a major contributor to the climate crisis and a public health threat for communities nearby. Despite what Trump says, renewables are beating coal pound for pound in the market. Building new solar – even solar plus storage – is now cheaper than running existing coal plants in the United States.

“The real emergency is not the lack of coal, but Trump’s order to open up America’s beautiful public lands to coal mining and expedite coal leasing and permitting. Attempts to revive this dying industry are not only costly to American taxpayers, but a danger to public health and our environment. From gutting the Environmental Protection Agency and its mission to ensure clean air and clean water, to attempting to roll back the clean energy investments in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, Trump is simply paying back his fossil fuel contributors, whose only goal is to kill clean energy and smother the revolution that has made onshore wind and solar the most cost-effective sources of electricity in the country.”

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