An executive order directs the Secretary of War, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, to seek long-term contracts for coal-fired power to serve defense installations and other mission-critical facilities. The order was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 17, 2026. It was signed at the White House on Feb. 11, 2026.
Executive Order 14386 is titled Strengthening United States National Defense With America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet. The Federal Register citation is 91 FR 7393. The order does not name a deadline for the contracts, and it does not identify particular plants or say how much power would be bought.
The order says the United States must keep the electric grid resilient and reliable, and not reliant on intermittent energy sources. It says military installations, operations, and defense-industrial production depend on that grid. It says a long interruption from a lack of energy, reliance on supplies from other countries, or power that comes and goes would endanger how ready the Armed Forces are to operate and the safety of the American people.
The order says the nation has vast coal resources and that the coal-fired generation fleet has shown reliability in supplying continuous, on-demand baseload power. It says the Department of War must prioritize preservation and strategic use of coal-based energy assets. It says coal generation is meant to keep military installations, command centers, and defense-industrial bases fully powered under all conditions, including natural disasters or wartime contingencies. It describes that capability as a matter of national security, strategic deterrence, and American energy dominance.
The order states U.S. policy by reference to two earlier orders dated April 8, 2025. One is Executive Order 14261, on reinvigorating the coal industry and amending Executive Order 14241. The other is Executive Order 14262, on strengthening the reliability and security of the U.S. electric grid. Under that policy, the order says, coal is essential to national and economic security. It also says the grid must rely on generating resources that hold large fuel stocks and can keep operating for a long stretch, so officials can respond to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14156 of Jan. 20, 2025. The order does not revoke or amend those earlier orders.
The Secretary of War is directed to seek power from the U.S. coal generation fleet by approving long-term power purchase agreements, or by entering similar contracts, with coal-fired energy production facilities. Those deals are to serve Department of War installations or other mission-critical facilities. Priority is to go to projects that enhance grid reliability and blackout prevention, on-site fuel security, and mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities.
The order says it does not impair authority that law already gives an executive department, an agency, or the head of either. It also says it does not affect the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in work on budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. It is to be carried out consistent with applicable law and subject to available appropriations. It states that it does not create a right or benefit that any party can enforce in court against the United States, its departments, or its officers.