Donald Trump stated he would counter China’s economic advantage by increasing fossil fuel power production, according to Bloomberg. The president declared in a social media post that he was immediately authorizing energy production using coal. Trump previously signed an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and directing the EPA to boost fossil fuel output. Coal usage is down by 35% since 2000, as competition from renewables, cheap natural gas, and federal regulations have driven its decline. China's coal-powered manufacturing boom has driven economic growth while making it the world's top emitter of greenhouse gases.
