White House Roundup
Thursday February 12, 2026
On the179th birthday of Thomas Edison, President Donald Trump honored his legacy to light the world, at a White House event which championed “Clean, beautiful Coal,” on Wednesday February 11, 2026.
The event was held in the prestigious East Room, and it included him signing an Executive Order (EO).
The caption at the event was:
Coal Keeps the Lights On.
Clean Coal for the Department of War
President Trump outlined in the EO that given the nation's vast coal resources and the proven reliability of our coal-fired generation fleet in providing continuous, on-demand baseload power, it is imperative that the Department of War (DOW) prioritize the preservation and strategic utilization of coal-based energy assets. In addition, he submitted that coal generation ensures that military installations, command centers, and defense-industrial bases remain fully powered under all conditions -- including natural disasters, or wartime contingencies. Thus, maintaining this capability was a matter of national security, strategic deterrence, and American energy dominance, the President argued.
Furthermore, President Trump underscored that the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements, or entering into any similar contractual agreements, with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities, with priority given to projects that enhance:
(a) grid reliability and blackout prevention;
(b) on-site fuel security; and
(c) mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities.
Additionally, during his speech President Trump stated the following:
§ He has saved 74 coal plants, including two coal plants in Tennessee. He also noted that they will save 450 jobs by keeping these plants open.
§ He directed the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online.
§ In one year, his Administration had approved over 70 new permits, with more than half of them being approved over the last 30 days.
§ Coal production was up to four million tons a month.
§ Pro energy policies were bringing energy prices way down.
§ Coal was one of the lowest energy priced resources; it’s most reliable and does not require subsidies.
§ Coal was critical to the national security of the United States: in areas of fuel production, ship building and so forth.
§ More coal means lower costs and more money in the pockets of American citizens.
§ Today’s coal production was clean because of the technology the plants were using.
Finally, the US Government was going to purchase a lot of coal for the DOW which will provide more reliable power, power which would be less expensive and more effective than what they had used over the years.
Awarded: President Trump was awarded a Bronze Coal Miner statute by the Chairman of the National Coal Council (NCC), Jim Grech.
Attendees: Present at the event were Cabinet Secretaries, Members of Congress, Union Executives from the Coal Industry, Coal Miners, White House Staff and others.
Written and Photos by Cherub Nicholls. Photos are on Wednesday February 11th.