The Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday issued an emergency order that will keep a Michigan coal plant [pictured above] running to reduce the risk of blackouts while summer heat strains the power grid and despite environmental protests fighting to shutter the plant. [emphasis, links added]
DOE’s order directs the major grid operator for the central U.S. — the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) — to continue running a coal-fired plant in Michigan to stave off power shortages, which has sparked ire from some environmental activists who claim the plant will pollute the area.
The order follows a similar May emergency directive to keep the same Michigan J.H. Campbell plant running, which was soon followed by a major blackout in New Orleans, an event that DOE Secretary Chris Wright hailed as proof of why the Trump administration prioritizes energy abundance.
“The United States continues to face an energy emergency, with some regions experiencing more capacity constraints than others. With electricity demand increasing, we must put an end to the dangerous energy-subtraction policies embraced by politicians for too long,” Wright said Thursday.
“This order will help ensure millions of Americans can continue to access affordable, reliable, and secure baseload power regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
DOE noted that the May order to keep the coal plant open has allowed it to function as a critical power generator on the grid during periods of high energy demand.
The J.H. Campbell plant was set to close on May 31, a full 15 years before reaching the end of its design life, the agency said.
MISO is directed to continue running the plant in tandem with Consumers Energy until Nov. 19, according to DOE. The department noted that its recent grid reliability report outlines that the risk of power outages across America could increase by a factor of 100 in 2030 if states continue to phase out reliable power sources without adequate replacements.
Some residents and climate activists raged against the DOE keeping the J.H. Campbell plant running in May, arguing that the move would drive up power costs and pollute the environment, according to a local news outlet.
Groups like the Sierra Club have also aired their grievances over the most recent order, arguing that it is “illegally extending” a “sham emergency order” that will cost the area millions by continuing to run the “deadly” coal plant.
“Chris Wright is not a Soviet-era central planner, but his new order suggests he would fit right in,” Earthjustice Senior Attorney Michael Lenoff told the Sierra Club. “He persists with unlawful, ill-informed orders that benefit coal companies and, well, that’s about it. Campbell is old, clunky, dirty, expensive, and unnecessary.”
Several coal plants have been phased out along the MISO grid, and trend energy sector experts warn could contribute to rolling blackouts.
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