The head of the nation's largest privately owned coal company is blasting a decision by an independent energy agency to reject the Trump administration's plan to bolster coal-fired power plants.

Robert Murray, CEO of Ohio-based Murray Energy Corp., says the action by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could lead to more closures of coal-fired power plants and the loss of thousands of jobs.

Murray said Tuesday that the Republican-controlled commission chose "a bureaucratic cop-out" that will raise the cost of electricity and jeopardize the reliability and security of the nation's electric grid.

Murray says the recent cold snap that hit the East Coast showed coal's value, as power users in the Southeast were asked to cut back on electricity usage because of a shortage of natural gas.