Via iowastartingline.com
Nearly 200 activists from the Make America Healthy Again movement sent a letter urging the administration to abandon coal in favor of renewables for powering AI infrastructure.
The Make America Healthy Again movement just picked a fight with one of Trump’s pet priorities. Nearly 200 MAHA activists sent a letter to President Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on August 21, arguing that the administration’s push to keep coal plants running to power AI data centers will poison American communities, particularly children.
Coal meets compute #
The backdrop here is a July 23, 2025 executive order that fast-tracked permitting for new data center infrastructure. That directive also designated coal power equipment as eligible resources for meeting surging electricity demand driven by AI buildouts.
The result: at least five to eight coal plants have been kept operational specifically to feed data center energy appetites.
MAHA’s letter makes the counterargument in health terms rather than climate terms. Coal ash, particulate emissions, respiratory illness in children living near these facilities. The letter puts it bluntly: “data centers should not become the justification for burning more coal.”
A strategic reframing #
MAHA isn’t arguing that AI is bad or that data centers shouldn’t exist. The activists explicitly acknowledge the importance of US leadership in artificial intelligence. Their objection is narrower: why use the dirtiest available fuel source when alternatives exist?
The letter advocates for solar and geothermal energy as alternatives and calls for comprehensive environmental reviews of data center siting and energy sourcing.
Kennedy’s positioning will be worth watching. As Health Secretary and a figurehead of the MAHA movement, he sits at the intersection of these competing priorities. The letter was addressed to him alongside Trump.
The energy math behind AI #
Tech companies have generally pledged to power their operations with clean energy. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all made net-zero commitments of various ambitions. But pledges and reality diverge when the grid can’t supply enough renewable power fast enough.
What to watch #
For the renewable energy sector, increased pressure on coal-powered data centers could accelerate investment in solar, geothermal, and next-generation nuclear as alternative power sources. Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our