ICYMI: Van Orden Joins President Trump for Historic Coal Announcement, $19 MILLION to Modernize Wisconsin Coal

June 9, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Thursday, Congressman Derrick Van Orden joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office as the President announced a $700M investment for America's coal industry and America's energy future. President Trump's announcements will support and create more than 14,000 jobs across the coal, construction, rail, maritime, and energy sectors while helping save American consumers an estimated $50 billion in future electricity generation costs. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND VAN ORDEN DELIVER – • $425M in Defense Production Act funding to support 13 coal-fired power plants across the country, including a facility in Wisconsin. • $75M to support construction of a new coal export terminal, creating more than 1,400 jobs and expanding markets for American energy. • $185M in Department of Energy funding to build two new coal plants and restart another facility, marking the first new coal plant construction in the United States since 2013. A key part of the announcement included a major investment in Wisconsin's energy infrastructure. Through the Reliable, Economical, and Local Advancement in Modernized Coal (RECLAIM-C) initiative, Alliant Energy's Columbia Energy Center in Columbia County will receive $19 million in Department of Energy funding as part of a $48.5 million modernization project. "President Trump is proving once again that America doesn't have to choose between economic growth and energy security," said Congressman Derrick Van Orden. "These investments will protect jobs, strengthen our electrical grid, lower costs for families, and help ensure Wisconsin workers remain at the forefront of America's energy future." The announcement is expected to help preserve thousands of existing coal jobs while supporting power plant workers, miners, railroad employees, manufacturers, and energy producers across the country. ### Issues : Congress Transportation & Infrastructure Energy