President Donald Trump wants to stop coal and nuclear power plants from closing.
He told Secretary of Energy Rick Perry to "prepare immediate steps to stop the loss of these resources."
The president heralded the coal industry during his campaign and his presidency, and he's frequently talked about trying to bring coal jobs back.
The statement from the White House didn't detail how the government would work to keep plants open. But a draft memo circulated earlier this week indicates the administration might order electric grid operators to buy their energy from struggling coal and nuclear plants.
Essentially, that would force grid operators to buy coal or nuclear power even if other options like natural gas or renewable sources are cheaper.
Perry will need to give his recommendations to Trump on how the U.S. could keep its "fuel-secure power facilities" open.
