Trump administration provides $46 million to extend operations of coal plants with environmental violations

The Trump administration's Department of Energy has awarded federal grants to keep aging coal-fired power plants operational, including facilities that have been repeatedly cited for violating environmental regulations. The Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, received a $46 million federal pledge to extend its lifespan after the Trump administration replaced four TVA board members and the agency reversed its previous retirement plan in February.

The Cumberland plant, which had been scheduled to close in 2026 and 2028, has a troubled environmental history. Following a multibillion-dollar settlement in 2011 stemming from the TVA's failure to install required pollution control technology, the plant was cited for air-pollution violations in both 2017 and 2023. An Inside Climate News review found that at least three of the 12 plants receiving Department of Energy grants have been repeatedly cited for violations of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or both. Beyond Cumberland, the Grand River Energy Center in Oklahoma and the Roxboro Steam Electric Plant in North Carolina have similarly been cited for environmental violations including the release of wastewater containing excess pollutants.

Environmental advocates have strongly opposed the federal support for coal plant extensions. Angie Mummaw, Middle Tennessee organizer for Appalachian Voices, described the grant as a "slap in the face," arguing that resources should instead support clean energy and new technologies. Maggie Shober, research director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, emphasized that retiring coal plants is essential for combating pollution and climate change, warning that extending operations will "make climate change happen faster and will make it worse over the long-term."

Scientific research underscores the public health costs of maintaining coal plant operations. Multiple studies have linked coal-plant air pollution to premature death, with health impacts extending hundreds of miles from facilities. One study estimates that a single air pollutant from Cumberland—toxic fine particles—contributed to approximately 1,000 deaths across states including New York and Massachusetts between 1999 and 2020.