In response to the news that Donald Trump signed an executive order in an attempt to revive the dying coal industry, which he claims is necessary to support the burgeoning AI data centers, Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s latest ploy uses AI as a cover to bail out his fossil fuel donors with the dirtiest, most expensive power source on the grid. Clean energy is already cheaper, faster to build, and more reliable than coal. This isn’t about powering data centers. It’s about enriching polluters and passing on the costs to families already struggling to make ends meet.

“Coal is toxic and outdated. It poisons our air and water, jacks up household energy bills, and is deadly for communities living under the shadow of its smokestacks. If Trump actually cared about meeting rising energy demand, he’d invest in affordable, clean power—not drag us backward to prop up a dying industry.”

Last year, Evergreen Action released “Four Ways States Can Meet AI Energy Demand With Clean Energy,” outlining how we can address data center demand, hit our climate goals with key policy interventions, and prevent companies behind AI from pushing their costs and pollution back into communities. You can read more here.

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