Coal Just Saved Hundreds of American Lives While Windmills Froze and Solar Panels Took a Nap [WATCH]

The Trump administration is highlighting what it says are dramatic gains in U.S. energy production and grid reliability, pointing to coal, oil, and natural gas as critical to keeping electricity flowing during a major winter cold snap.

During a public exchange this week, Donald Trump and Chris Wright, the United States Secretary of Energy, outlined what they described as a resurgence of American energy dominance and a reversal of policies that had previously restricted fossil fuel production.

Wright told the president that domestic energy output is now surpassing global competitors by wide margins.

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“You bet, Mr. President, I can say with confidence that your energy dominance agenda is firing on all cylinders,” Wright said.

“United States oil production today is greater than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined. The number two and number three producers. Our natural gas production today is greater than Russia, China and Iran combined, the second, third and fourth, largest natural gas producers, huge production in the United States.”

Wright also credited Interior Department lease sales for generating substantially more federal revenue under the current administration.

“Secretary Burgum at the Interior Department has taken in more money on oil and gas lease sales in the first year of this administration than the entire four years of the Biden administration,” Wright said.

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Beyond oil and gas, Wright emphasized the return of coal production after years of decline, citing new leases approved under the administration.

“And beyond oil and gas, six new coal leases under this first year of this administration from the Interior Department, and coal production is growing again in the United States, after years of decline,” Wright said.

“And this beautiful clean coal was the MVP of the huge cold snap we’re in right now.”

According to Wright, coal played a decisive role during peak electricity demand as freezing temperatures gripped large portions of the country.

“Coal, over the last few days, where we had peak demand and electricity, has delivered 20 times more electricity than solar and batteries,” he said.

“Think about that, 20 times more.”

President Trump echoed that assessment, contrasting coal’s performance with renewable energy sources during extreme weather.

“Because coal doesn’t mind very cold weather, clean,” Trump said.

“You’re not allowed to say the word coal without proceeding by saying clean, beautiful coal. Clean, beautiful coal. It’s not affected by bad weather, rain, snow, sleet, freezing, cold.”

When Trump asked how coal performs under severe cold, Wright replied, “It steps up and delivers big time.”

“In fact, what coal did during this this storm was deliver massively more electricity than it was delivering a month ago, because we needed far more electricity,” Wright said.

Trump used the discussion to criticize wind energy, arguing that turbines failed during the cold snap and imposed high costs on taxpayers.

“By the way, are all frozen,” Trump said. “You know, turn the windmills aren’t turning the windmills that these fools paid for… they make a fortune on windmills that don’t even work, and they don’t produce anywhere near what they should be, and it’s the worst, most expensive form of energy there is.”

He also pointed to Europe as a warning.

“And by the way, Europe is destroying itself with the stupid windmills they’re putting all over their beautiful areas,” Trump said.

“Better get smart between immigration and energy. They’re destroyed.”

Wright added that regions relying heavily on renewable energy struggled the most during peak demand.

“In New England, with somewhat European energy policies at peak demand time, very cold in New England, wind, solar and batteries that you were just speaking of, delivered less than 3% of the electricity needed at peak demand time,” Wright said.

He warned that power failures during extreme cold can be deadly.

“If electricity goes out when it’s very cold, people die,” Wright said, noting that “over 200 people died in a smaller cold snap during the Biden administration.”

Wright said the current cold event was geographically larger but did not result in widespread grid failures, attributing that outcome to the administration’s energy policies.

“Your energy policies deliver just a dramatically, dramatically different outcome for the American people,” he said.

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