1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I oppose the Trump administration's efforts to prop up the coal industry at the expense of public and environmental health and taxpayer dollars. On September 29, the administration coordinated a massive effort to revive coal through regulatory rollbacks and $625 million in new investments across three federal agencies. The Department of Interior opened 13.1 million acres of public land for coal leases while slashing mining royalty rates from 8-12.5% to just 7%. The administration also directed utilities to keep retiring coal plants online, costing ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars while reconsidering or delaying critical air and water pollution regulations. This approach defies both economic reality and public health science. Coal-generated power costs rose 28% between 2021 and 2024, while solar costs fell by half since 2014 and wind costs dropped even faster. Meanwhile, a Carnegie Mellon University study documented $300 billion in air quality and health benefits from coal's decline. Coal remains the dirtiest fuel, emitting 950,000 metric tons of CO2 per terawatt-hour while releasing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals, and fly ash that contaminate our air, water, and soil. Clean energy is the cheapest and fastest energy to bring online, making it senseless to double down on the most expensive and polluting options. Congress must act to reinforce clean air and water protections, hold coal plants to the strictest environmental standards, and require coal companies to fully pay for cleanup costs including coal ash disposal. I urge you to oppose any efforts to weaken these protections and instead support policies that prioritize affordable clean energy and public health.