WildEarth Guardians Responds to Latest Trump Executive Order

Rolls Backs on Corporate Regulation, Climate Protection, and Common Sense

Additional contact: John Horning, 505-795-5083, jhorning@wildearthguardians.org

Denver, CO –Executive Order, Promotion Energy Independence and Economic Growth, issued today, is yet another move by the Trump Administration to mute climate science and related policy and instead cater to fossil fuel executives. 

“This Administration has made it abundantly clear that its loyalty lies not with the American public, but with special interests’ energy production and specifically, in resurrecting the coal industry,” said Shannon Hughes, WildEarth Guardians Climate Guardian. “This President may roll back commonsense environmental and public health protections, but he can’t shroud the impacts of climate change and fossil fuel economies.”

The Executive Order directs EPA and other agencies to roll back the Clean Power Plan, reconsider C02 standards for new coal power plants, and loosen regulations for greenhouse gas emissions, a move that will dismantle the progress America has made towards emissions reduction during the previous administration. Additionally, the Executive Order will lift the federal coal moratorium, enacted in 2016 in order to review the federal coal program’s outdated policies. 

“The moratorium was a common-sense policy move to fix our federal coal program, and Trump’s actions likely mean that program will stay broken,” said Shannon Hughes. “Managing public lands and public interest to bail out energy executives is nothing short of corruption.  Lifting the moratorium won’t help a dying coal industry, but it will help its CEOs line their pockets.”

Despite the Executive Order, coal emissions are expected to decline based on market forces. New coal reserves have yet to be explored due to decreased demand for coal, and increased availability of cheaper sources such as natural gas and renewables. Much of the aging fleet of coal-fired power plants are considering, or in the process of, closing to avoid further losses. Despite Trump’s accusations of over-regulation by the EPA and others, it seems the market is guiding the coal industry into its grave. 

“Every American should be outraged by Trump’s latest attack on climate – why is our President  bailing out coal when solar and wind are the fastest growing job markets and don’t poison our bodies or the planet?,” added Hughes. “As we inevitably transition away from coal, Americans must demand true energy independence - not dependent on Trump’s circle of Big Coal, Big Oil, electric utilities, and their well-paid corporate executives.”


 

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