The first US coal plant in a decade is on shaky ground

President Donald Trump's administration is promoting the Terra Energy Center, a proposed 1.25-gigawatt coal-fired power plant in Alaska, as the nation's first new coal plant in over a decade. An affiliate of Canada-based Flatlands Energy, Terra has secured a $1 billion "agreement in principle" for boilers from South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Power Systems and a $500 million equity investment from KOREIT. The project is located in Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Borough, north of Anchorage, and is being considered to provide power to the Anchorage region, with potential applications for energy-intensive projects like data centers. However, the project faces considerable challenges and opposition. Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor Edna DeVries initially vetoed a resolution supporting efforts to market companies to build the plant for a data center, citing a need for careful vetting, though the assembly later overrode her veto. Environmental groups like the Susitna River Coalition, led by Melis Coady, and The Alaska Center, with political director Alex Petkanas, are actively questioning the project's funding, infrastructure, and potential "devastating public health impacts" on the pristine Susitna Valley and salmon habitats. Critics also highlight the lack of existing infrastructure, the remoteness of the coal reserves, and the absence of clear power purchase agreements, making its viability for data centers questionable. Nova Minerals, an Australian miner with Alaskan assets, has previously invested in Terra's parent company. The Matanuska Electric Association is reportedly working with Terra on a nonbinding term sheet for a power purchase agreement, but details remain unclear.