Coal stocks gain as Trump unveils executive order calling for industry deals with military

By Victor Reklaitis

The order calls for U.S. military installations to enter into electricity contracts with coal plants

CEO of Peabody Energy Jim Grech, left, presents a trophy to President Donald Trump during an event on the use of coal Wednesday at the White House.

Coal stocks finished with gains Wednesday, helped by news that President Donald Trump was signing an executive order after the market's close that could help the industry.

The order calls for U.S. military installations to enter into electricity contracts with coal-fired power plants.

"We're going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now," said Trump during a White House event focused in large part on the order.

An exchange-traded fund that tracks coal stocks, the Range Global Coal Index ETF COAL, closed 2.3% higher after a bigger gain at the open faded. Peabody Energy's stock (BTU) advanced 2.3%, while shares in Core Natural Resources (CNR) tacked on 1.8% and Warrior Met Coal (HCC) added 0.4%.

Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) rose 3.8%, while Alpha Metallurgical Resources (AMR) edged up 0.5%. The broad S&P 500 equity index SPX finished little changed as investors digested a better-than-expected jobs report.

Ahead of Trump's signing of the executive order, reports about it came from outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News. A White House official confirmed their reporting to MarketWatch.

At the White House event, Trump announced funding to keep coal plants operating in several states, following up on his administration's moves last fall to provide money for such work. He also received an inaugural "Undisputed Champion of Coal" award from an industry group, with Peabody CEO Jim Grech handing it to the president.

In another win for fossil fuels, the Journal reported that the Trump administration is planning this week to repeal the 2009 "endangerment finding" that serves as the legal basis for federal greenhouse-gas regulation, representing the biggest rollback of American climate policy to date.

The coal order aimed at military installations drew criticism from Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer-advocacy group.

"This taxpayer boondoggle does nothing to make energy more affordable, as it puts the American people on the financial hook for some of the most expensive and polluting power plants around. At the same time, Trump blocks nearly complete offshore wind projects using bogus U.S. military and national security claims," said the director of Public Citizen's energy program, Tyson Slocum, in a statement.

Peabody's Grech praised Trump in his remarks at the White House event. "We stand here today representing the thousands of coal miners across the country to express our deep gratitude, sir, for the actions you've taken to support our industry," the CEO said.

Tomi Kilgore contributed.

From MarketWatch's archives (December 2025): How the oil industry's climate-change solution is surviving Trump's attack on green energy

-Victor Reklaitis

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02-11-26 1714ET