Federal Funds Target ND Coal Plant Amid Solar Boom, AI Grid Debate

The Trump administration is directing $700 million in federal funds to support the U.S. coal industry, with a portion targeting a power plant in North Dakota, according to OilPrice.com. The funding, announced June 6, 2026, invokes the Defense Production Act, with $425 million allocated to 13 existing coal plants across ten states, including North Dakota.

This move comes despite solar power dominating new energy capacity additions in the United States for 28 consecutive months through the end of 2025, OilPrice.com reported. Renewable energy sources, led by utility-scale solar, accounted for 88% of all new energy additions last year. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) projections indicate solar capacity will grow by 86 gigawatts over the next three years, surpassing coal's share in the national energy mix.

The administration's coal argument is heavily tied to rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, framed as a national security issue. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has cited winning the AI race as an imperative requiring coal for baseload power, according to OilPrice.com. The AI boom is creating significant pressure on the energy industry to quantify and meet skyrocketing power demands.

However, a parallel debate questions whether AI's own energy consumption will be offset by efficiency gains it creates elsewhere. A new article from law firm Duane Morris, cited by OilPrice.com, argues the greater long-term risk for the energy sector may be failing to adopt AI tools aggressively enough to improve operations and efficiency. Critics, pointing to a 2025 MIT report, say such efficiency gains are not yet realized and may be overstated.

For Bakken operators, these conflicting trends highlight a complex energy landscape. The policy support for coal, including the North Dakota plant, contrasts with market realities where solar and natural gas lead growth. A shortage of gas-fired turbines is currently slowing gas-power additions, inadvertently incentivizing more investment in renewables and energy storage, according to a Reuters quote from NextEra Energy's CEO featured in OilPrice.com.

The broader economic momentum for renewables appears strong. FERC projects solar will become the nation's second-largest energy source by 2029, behind only natural gas. Miguel Stilwell d’Andrade, CEO of Portuguese utility EDP, told Semafor the U.S. is currently in "one of the best periods to invest in renewables in the US over the last 20 years," OilPrice.com reported.