Trump's Latest Idea to Help Coal Is Mini Power Plants

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s latest idea to save coal-fired power plants: shrink them.

The U.S. Energy Department said Friday it’s making $100 million available to help develop what it labeled as coal plants of the future -- ones that are smaller than conventional, utility-scale plants, more nimble and more efficient. This builds on the agency’s recent efforts to get small coal plants off the ground. It’s calling the initiative “Coal FIRST” (for flexible, innovative, resilient, small and transformative).

“Coal is an abundant, affordable, and reliable energy source that, through innovation, will continue to be an important part of the U.S. portfolio for decades to come,” Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes said in a statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Lynn Doan

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