Trump initiated an order to maintain the operation of a Michigan coal power plant, which was gearing up for closure.
In an unexpected move, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an order demanding the J.H. Campbell plant, a 1,560-megawatt coal-burning power plant, to continue operating beyond May 31. This decision, which invokes the DOE's emergency authority under the 1935 Federal Power Act, has stirred controversy among environmental and consumer watchdogs.
The J.H. Campbell plant's scheduled retirement, part of an agreement between Consumers Energy and state regulators to end coal use by 2025 and meet the state's mandate of 100% clean energy by 2040, has been in the works since 2021. However, the DOE's order states that an emergency exists in portions of the Midwest region due to a shortage of electric energy.
Critics, including Greg Wannier, senior attorney with the Sierra Club Environmental Law Program, argue that keeping the plant open will worsen pollution, harm nearby communities, and increase costs for utility customers. Tyson Slocum, director of the energy program at nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen, accuses the DOE of "making up a manufactured emergency to accomplish a crass political outcome."
On the other hand, Consumers Energy has estimated that the switch from costlier coal to cheaper gas, solar, and energy storage will save customers $600 million through 2040. The energy company has already bought a 1,200-MW gas-fired power plant to make up for the energy and grid support that the J.H. Campbell plant provided.
The DOE's order provides no evidence that either MISO, the entity that manages grid reliability across Michigan and 14 other Midwest states, or Consumers Energy had made a request for J.H. Campbell to stay open. MISO, in fact, has had years to plan for losing the coal plant's energy and capacity services and has found no reason to delay its closure.
The December 2024 report from North American Electric Reliability Corporation ranks MISO as the only grid region in North America to be at high risk for future grid reliability challenges. MISO is struggling to add new generation resources to the grid fast enough to keep up with demand, with the vast majority of projects waiting to connect being clean energy sources like solar, wind, and batteries.
It's worth noting that President Donald Trump issued executive orders in April aimed at "bringing back" the U.S. coal industry, including an order authorising the DOE to cite grid reliability as justification for keeping coal plants open. The DOE's current order was issued by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former gas industry executive and a vocal denier of the climate change crisis. However, the current U.S. Secretary of Energy who issued the emergency order is Jennifer Granholm, appointed in 2021.
As the debate continues, Consumers Energy has continued to build and contract for utility-scale solar power and battery storage, demonstrating a commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.
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