How Trump is Forcing Coal and Nuclear Onto The Grid

FEATURING KIM SMACZNIAK – On Friday June 1st President Trump directed his Energy Secretary Rick Perry to offer special concessions to coal and nuclear power plants, attempting to keep his long-held promise to the coal industry. A newly leaked internal government memo published by Bloomberg reveals that the justification that the Trump administration is using is based on obscure World War II and Cold War era laws that remain on the books. Trump officials have cited national security concerns for why coal and nuclear power plants need to remain open despite the fact that those industries have rapidly lost ground to natural gas, solar, wind, and other energy sources.

A coalition of oil and gas trade groups wrote a letter to the government angry over what they perceived as favoritism by Trump saying that the government’s decision would result in higher electricity prices for ordinary Americans.

Environmental organizations have denounced the decision to keep alive an industry that has arguably the worst carbon impact on our climate.

Kim Smaczniak, Staff Attorney with Earthjustice.