Federal court rejects Trump order keeping Michigan coal plant open
The court said the Energy Department lacked an actual emergency and noted the plant has cost Midwest families $600,000 a day.
- On Friday, the District Circuit Court for Columbia overturned the Energy Department's "emergency" order that forced the 64-year-old Campbell coal-fired power plant in Michigan to remain open past its scheduled retirement date.
- Appeals Court Judge Cornelia Pillard wrote for the unanimous panel that the Federal Power Act allows such orders only as a "narrow, last-resort backstop," finding the Energy Department exceeded its authority when issuing the May 2025 order.
- Since the order was issued, Campbell has cost families in the Midwest $600,000 a day, while the Sierra Club's "Burning Money" tracker estimates these administration orders have cost Americans over $546 million to date.
- Ted Kelly, U.S. clean energy director at the Environmental Defense Fund, said the ruling rejected the Trump Administration's nationwide effort to force "unreliable, aging coal plants that are bleeding money and polluting communities to stay online."
- This Michigan case is one of several legal disputes emerging across the country as the Trump Administration uses emergency powers to force a half-dozen coal-fired plants from closing, signaling broader challenges ahead.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Trump loses bid to keep old coal plant open
President Donald Trump's administration has lost its lawsuit over a Michigan power plant that was slated to be decommissioned last year and replaced by renewable energy.In 2024, Trump campaigned on a promise to end what he called Joe Biden’s “war on American energy." Trump's vision involved an effort to restore fossil-fuel production and cut environmental rules. A perennial critic of wind energy, Trump has promised to make energy cheaper while a…
The Economic Times
Times of IndiaUS Federal court rejects Trump order keeping Michigan coal plant open
A US federal court ruled against the Energy Department's authority. The court found the department exceeded its powers last year. This decision overturned orders to keep a Michigan coal plant open. Environmental groups and three states supported the legal challenge. The ruling rejected the administration's efforts to extend aging coal plants.
Federal court rejects Trump order keeping Michigan coal plant open – WTOP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal court on Friday ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its authority when it forced a Michigan coal-fired power to stay open past its scheduled retirement date last year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had said the 64-year-old J.H. Campbell plant was needed to ensure reliable electricity in the region and used emergency powers to keep it operating. Environmental groups and t…
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