US President Donald Trump declared himself the “undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal” as he signed a new executive order aimed at expanding coal use and keeping ageing plants online.

“Clean, beautiful coal, clean, beautiful coal,” Trump said at the White House on Wednesday (local time), welcoming miners and industry executives to what was billed as a “Champion of Coal” event. “You’ve never had a better friend in the Oval Office than me.”

Trump said he would sign an executive order directing the “Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements,” to ensure “more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power.” He added, “We’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now.”

He also announced that the Tennessee Valley Authority would keep open two plants -- the Cumberland Fossil Plant in Cumberland City and the Kingston Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tennessee -- which he said were “slated for termination.” The move, he said, would “save over 450 jobs.”

“In addition, I’m directing the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online,” Trump said.

The President sharply criticised his predecessor. “The Biden administration, he had no clue what he was doing, shut down dozens of coal plants,” Trump said, adding that he had “ended the war on coal” on “day one.”

He claimed that under his leadership, “coal production is up by nearly 4 million tons a month” and that “coal power generation is up by nearly 15 per cent in my first year.” He said he had “already approved over 70 permits for very big, very powerful mines.”

Trump argued that coal proved its value during a recent winter storm. “Coal generation surged 31 per cent, while solar and wind totally collapsed,” he said. “The only reason most were able to take a hot shower was thanks to the power provided by the most reliable, dependable form of energy that we have.”

Kayla Blackford, a haul truck driver at Bear Run Mine in Indiana, said, “It’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

She told the President that his “common sense policies to keep coal plants running” meant that she and her husband could “keep working” and “continue raising our son in our community.”

Jim Grech, CEO of Peabody Energy and chairman of the National Coal Council, thanked Trump for “the actions you’ve taken to support our industry.” He said, “We have a president who more than any other deeply understands the importance of coal.”

Trump also linked coal to national security. “Coal is also critical to our national security, vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence,” he said.

He added that the United States had made “historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India and others to increase our coal exports dramatically.”

Coal has long been central to US energy policy debates, especially in states such as West Virginia and Wyoming, where mining remains a major employer.

Environmental groups argue that coal-fired power plants contribute significantly to carbon emissions, while industry leaders say advances in technology have made coal generation cleaner and more efficient.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned utility, has faced debate in recent years over plant retirements and grid reliability. Trump’s latest order underscores his administration’s emphasis on energy production and exports as pillars of economic and national security policy.