The Trump administration issued emergency orders to keep coal-fired power plants in Indiana and Michigan operating, citing growing concerns about the reliability of the Midwest power grid and the region's ability to meet electricity demand in the coming years.
In Indiana, Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered the F.B. Culley and R.M. Schahfer generating stations to remain available through the winter after some units were scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025.
The orders require CenterPoint Energy, Northern Indiana Public Service Company, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator to take all necessary steps to keep the units operational.
The Department of Energy said the action is intended to maintain grid stability, limit electricity costs, and reduce the risk of blackouts during periods of peak demand.
"The Trump Administration remains committed to swiftly deploying all available tools and authorities to safeguard the reliability, affordability, and security of the nation's energy system," Wright said. "Keeping these coal plants online has the potential to save lives and is just common sense."
A similar approach was taken in Michigan, where the administration has repeatedly extended the operation of the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant along the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 100 miles northeast of Chicago.
The plant, which opened in 1962, was originally scheduled to close in May but has remained online under a series of emergency orders from the Energy Department.
DOE said "emergency conditions" require the Campbell plant to continue operating to meet electrical demand in the central United States, warning that failure to do so could leave homes and businesses without power.
The Campbell plant can generate up to 1,450 megawatts of electricity, enough to serve about 1 million people. Consumers Energy, which operates the facility, had planned to retire the plant as part of its long-term energy transition strategy.
The Energy Department first ordered the plant to remain open for three months to address summer demand, then extended the order twice. The current extension keeps the plant operating through Feb. 17.
Regional power assessments warn of capacity shortfalls. In its 2024 Reliability Imperative Report, MISO said the region faces "immediate and serious challenges" to grid reliability.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has also warned that the Midwest is at "elevated risk" of insufficient capacity in the next five years.
NERC reported that coal capacity in the MISO region declined by about 6 gigawatts in the past year, with an additional 12 gigawatts expected to retire over the next five years, raising concerns about whether replacement generation will come online fast enough to meet demand.
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