The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels

The Department of Energy (DOE) has ordered the J.H. Campbell coal plant in Michigan and units of the Eddystone oil and gas plant in Pennsylvania to remain open, overturning planned retirements. Earthjustice contends these orders are an illegal abuse of Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, as there is no evidence of a reliability risk. The document asserts that these actions override state regulators and market decisions to prop up uncompetitive fossil fuels, potentially costing utility customers millions and hindering the transition to clean energy.

• The Department of Energy (DOE) issued orders to keep the J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Michigan, and two units of the Eddystone oil and gas power plant in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, operational for the summer, overriding existing retirement plans.
• The order regarding the J.H. Campbell plant was issued eight days before its scheduled retirement, which had been agreed upon in a 2022 settlement. This settlement included plans by Consumers Energy to acquire another plant and build wind, solar, and storage resources to replace the generation.
• Earthjustice claims there is no evidence of an emergency to justify the use of Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. It notes that Consumers Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) all concluded there was no reliability risk from the Campbell plant's retirement.
• The document argues that the DOE is overstepping its legal authority, as Section 202(c) is intended for wartime or unexpected emergencies like hurricanes and wildfires, and is limited to 'temporary interconnections' and electricity flow directives.
• The administration is accused of using these orders to support uneconomic fossil fuels while simultaneously hindering clean energy by pausing wind projects and proposing budget cuts for solar, wind, and energy efficiency programs.

APA

McGrath, K. (2025). The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels. Earthjustice. https://earthjustice.org/experts/shannon-fisk/the-trump-administration-forces-power-plants-to-continue-burning-fossil-fuels

Chicago

McGrath, Kathryn. The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels. Earthjustice, 2025. https://earthjustice.org/experts/shannon-fisk/the-trump-administration-forces-power-plants-to-continue-burning-fossil-fuels.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=McGrath |first1=Kathryn |title=The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels |publisher=Earthjustice |date=6 June 2025 |url=https://earthjustice.org/experts/shannon-fisk/the-trump-administration-forces-power-plants-to-continue-burning-fossil-fuels |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mcgrath2025trump, author = {McGrath, Kathryn}, title = {{The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels}}, publisher = {Earthjustice}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://earthjustice.org/experts/shannon-fisk/the-trump-administration-forces-power-plants-to-continue-burning-fossil-fuels}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }