President Trump orders $75 million for Oakland coal terminal

President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday directing $75 million toward construction of the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal in California. The terminal is intended to ship coal from western states to overseas markets. Federal funding will allow ground-breaking this summer and first shipments by summer 2028.

Funding details The same order provides $200 million to build two new coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia and to restart one plant in Maryland. It also supplies $425 million to support thirteen existing plants across ten states. A White House official said the measures are expected to save about 12,500 coal-industry jobs.

Terminal operations and jobs Once complete, the Oakland facility is projected to export up to 12 million tons of coal per year to Asian markets and operate around the clock. The project is forecast to create more than 1,400 on-site jobs and support thousands of additional positions in mining, rail, port operations, engineering, and construction.

Legal and local background The California Supreme Court ruled last year that the City of Oakland had improperly ended the developer’s lease. Environmental groups have protested the terminal and stated they will continue opposing it. Oakland operates the nation’s ninth-largest port.