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The president also has tried to freeze investments in clean energy that were passed through the Biden administration鈥檚 Inflation Reduction Act. But Judge John McConnell of the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction against that effort, noting in his decision that the executive branch does not have the power to block spending approved by Congress.

Trump鈥檚 "categorical freeze of appropriated and obligated funds fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government," the judge wrote.

Oil and gas production hit record highs under former President Joe Biden, despite his talk of a decarbonized future. On the other hand, coal, accounting for of the nation鈥檚 electricity production, is in steep decline.

Trump is aware of the economic decay in places such as southern West Virginia, where coal production dropped by 60% between 2008 and 2015 because of President Barack Obama鈥檚 emissions regulations. That state, where 鈥渂lack gold鈥� used to be a synonym for financial prosperity, was once a bastion for labor unions and the Democratic Party. Today, the Republican Party mines support from West Virginians by promising them a coal-powered future.

Earlier in my career as an advocate for climate and clean energy policy, I traveled to the Mountain State to learn about its challenges amid the coal industry鈥檚 decline. In McDowell County, one of the state鈥檚 poorest areas, I spoke with three women over lunch at a nonprofit, where they worked in child care serving low-income families.

The women opened up about the impacts of coal's decline, including a high unemployment rate, food insecurity and the opioid crisis. They also spoke about the health issues their family members accumulated from working in the coal fields, including 鈥渂lack lung disease,鈥� which has been found to decrease life expectancy by about .

While places such as McDowell County overwhelmingly supported Trump in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections, the sitting president鈥檚 motivation for bringing back coal isn鈥檛 the Mountaineers. He wants to catch up with China and its sprawling economy.

Indeed, China is still heavily reliant on coal. But solar power is to become China's largest energy source by 2026. If Trump really cared about competition with China, he wouldn鈥檛 be trying to repeal Biden鈥檚 nearly $400 billion investments in clean energy.

Trump also wants to burn more coal to power the technology industry鈥檚 aspirations for artificial intelligence. But coal-powered AI will not save the economy. Society cannot progress by using the fuels of the past.

The future of America鈥檚 energy economy is a serious matter, as is the well-being of places such as West Virginia. Executive orders are not going to 鈥渟tabilize鈥� the economy. They are only temporary political tools, easily repealed by succeeding administrations.

Moreover, the clean energy investments passed under Biden have created more than , according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Those jobs predominantly benefitted Republican-held districts. Four GOP senators 鈥� Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Jerry Moran of Kansas 鈥� recently urged Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., not to repeal Biden-crafted clean energy tax credits, which received no GOP support when Congress passed them in 2022.

If you care about the future of America鈥檚 energy economy, call on the Republican leadership and your members of Congress to protect federal investments in clean energy. Renewable power is already making America more secure. There's no need to go back in time.