The U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 29 announced a $625 million investment “to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal industry, aiming to boost energy production and support coal communities nationwide.”
The funding announcements are issued in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Orders, “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” and “Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid.”
DOE has committed to providing $625 million in funding for:
• $350 million for coal recommissioning and retrofits for projects to demonstrate readiness to recommission or modernize coal power units and provide near-term electric power reliability and capacity.
• $175 million for rural capacity and energy affordability projects for coal power projects that provide direct benefits of energy affordability, reliability, and resiliency in rural communities.
• $50 million to support the Development and Implementation of Advanced Wastewater Management Systems to demonstrate scalable, cost-effective wastewater management systems that enable coal plants to extend their service life, reduce operational costs, and enhance commercial byproduct recovery.
• $25 million for Engineering and Implementation of Dual Firing Retrofits to enable coal power plants to seamlessly switch between fuels, achieve full steam capacity, and economic flexibility to extend plant lifespans.
• $25 million for Development and Testing of Natural Gas Cofiring Systems to support investments that will maintain boiler efficiency and reliability when utilizing 100% natural gas.
