March 11, 2026 - Tennessee Valley Authority leaders and President Donald Trump have touted “beautiful clean coal” in recent weeks. Scientists, however, widely consider coal to be the most toxic fossil fuel.

A Feb. 11 executive order from Trump directed the U.S. Department of Defense to purchase power from "beautiful clean coal" plants, as the president continues to pursue American energy dominance while shucking Biden-era environmental regulations in favor of fossil fuels.

Tom Rice, CFO of TVA − the nation's largest public utility − used the same "beautiful" language during a quarterly board meeting the same day as Trump's order, acknowledging the president's efforts around energy.

“Without (Trump)," Rice said, "we would not be in the position today to recommend continuing to operate over 3,000 megawatts of beautiful, clean coal that will directly support energy resiliency, reliability and low-cost power for the 10 million people we serve."

But how clean is "clean coal"? Here's what to know about coal power and how its political position has shifted in recent years.

How clean is 'clean coal'? What the science says

Coal production in the U.S. is declining, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's annual coal report. In 2023, it provided the U.S. with around 16% of its total electricity – far less than the proportion of power coal helped produce in earlier years.

Coal generates more carbon dioxide emissions than other fossil fuels such as natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Burning coal also produces emissions from nitrogen oxide and mercury. 

Coal is an abundant, cheaper option compared to other fuel sources, and is more heavily used in other parts of the world, including countries in Asia and the Pacific region.  

America's relationship with coal is changing

The first coal-fired electricity plant powered up in the 19th century, and the technology behind coal power has evolved substantially since then.

Barbara Arnold, a professor of practice in mining engineering at Pennsylvania State University, said some technologies used to make coal cleaner date to the 19th century. 

“All of the coal east of the Mississippi, essentially, is processed in coal cleaning plants,” Arnold said. 

Once it’s mined, she said, the coal is processed at specialized plants that remove mineral ash, as well as sulfur, to reduce some environmental risks.

“We’ve been cleaning coal for over a century now,” she said. 

The coal preparation process prevents some health hazards from materializing, she said, and it makes coal-fired plants more efficient.

Refining processes have cut some emissions tied to coal, but a 2018 Reuters investigation found refined coal mostly failed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions to the extent lawmakers had hoped. 

Bringing back the domestic coal industry is a major plank in Trump’s political platform. Since retaking office in 2025, the president has intervened to prevent imminent coal plant closures and has denounced plans to retire coal units.

Trump has campaigned on saving coal in each of his three presidential campaigns, despite pushback from experts. Scientists and environmental advocates argue the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels and their effects on human health should encourage the energy sector to pursue newer, cleaner sources.

Where does TVA fit into U.S. coal plans?

TVA's pivot back to fossil fuels comes amid interest by the president in coal power and the utility's leadership.

Trump recently slammed TVA’s CEO for now-outdated plans to retire the utility's Kingston and Cumberland Fossil Plants in Tennessee. He fired a director he chose to sit on TVA’s governing board in his first term, and he fired three Biden-appointed directors after retaking office in January 2025.

The latest round of firings stripped the TVA board of its quorum, leaving it unable to set policy or change rates for nearly a year. 

The board recovered its quorum in January, and its new members got together the following month in Kentucky for their first meeting. There, they rolled back plans to retire the Kingston and Cumberland plants, along with the utility’s commitments to renewable energy.