Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he was using Cold War-era legislation to tap $700 million in funding for a slew of coal projects, his latest push to increase use of the most-polluting fossil fuel.

Trump said the funds would be used to keep 14 coal plants and 42 mines open, as well as to build two new coal plants and an export terminal.

"Today we're officially invoking the Defense Production Act to save 13 coal plants in West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Wisconsin," Trump said.

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The Defense Production Act, enacted in 1950, gives the president emergency power over domestic industries.

Trump frequently calls human-induced climate change "a hoax" and has worked since returning to power last year to wipe out a number of environmental regulations, many of which limited fossil fuel use.

Coal is the fuel that emits the highest levels of greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.

The world built and commissioned more coal power in 2025, but used the polluting fuel less, with the US the only major economy to substantially increase generation, analysis by the Global Energy Monitor shows.