The Metro: Coal and ‘The Big Myth’ of the free market
Harvard historian Naomi Oreskes explains why Washington is spending millions to prop up coal — and what it reveals about politics, power, and the free market.
For nearly 20 years, the U.S. has been closing its coal mines. Coal became too expensive, and gas, solar, and wind power are cheaper and more efficient options. Now, the Trump administration is spending roughly $700 million to revive the coal market, using a 1950 wartime law.
The people behind this shift are often the ones who say the market should dictatee decisions and the government should stay out of it. They argue the shift is practical, citing rising power demand from AI data centers and the need for reliable electricity.
Naomi Oreskes, a historian of science at Harvard and author of “The Big Myth,” believes other factors are at play. “I think the important point to make here is that there is no rational economic, social, or environmental argument for sustaining coal as a primary fuel, and certainly not for reopening closed coal plants,” she said.
Oreskes joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to talk about the Trump administration’s move to revive the coal industry and how politics and power factor into what we believe is practical — or possible.
Hear the full conversation using the media player above.
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