Trump backs coal as critical minerals source

Washington: US President Donald Trump and industry leaders described coal as a strategic source of rare earth elements and critical minerals, expanding its role beyond traditional power generation.

At the White House “Champion of Coal” event on Wednesday (local time), Jim Grech, CEO of Peabody Energy, said the industry was working closely with the administration on new opportunities.

“We are working with your administration on the potential to build new coal-fueled power plants, and coal emerges as a source of rare earth elements and critical minerals that are essential for our national security and economic future,” Grech said.

Trump tied coal directly to advanced manufacturing and defence. “Coal is also critical to our national security, vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence,” he said.

Grech underscored the scale of US reserves. “The US has more energy in its coal than any nation has in any single energy source,” he said. “We have more energy than Russia has in its gas, and we have more energy than Saudi Arabia has in its oil.”

The administration’s focus comes as critical minerals — including rare earth elements — have become central to global supply chains for electronics, defence systems, and emerging technologies.

Grech said mining communities were seeing renewed investment. “Mining towns that once feared for their futures are seeing new investment, renewed optimism, and a sense of pride restored,” he said.

The renewed push to extract strategic minerals from coal adds a new dimension to U.S. industrial policy. Rare earth elements are key components in advanced electronics, renewable technologies, defence equipment, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Trump Administration has prioritised securing domestic supplies of critical minerals amid growing concerns over supply chain concentration and strategic competition.

Its emphasis on coal as a potential source reflects broader efforts to strengthen domestic production and reduce vulnerabilities in high-tech industries.

IANS