The coal-fired J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in Michigan must remain available to meet emergency electricity needs this winter under a new order, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Nov. 14.
The department announced the order in its Nov. 14 statement. The statement was titled “Energy Secretary Keeps Critical, Coal-Fired Generation Operational Ahead of Winter in the Midwest.” The plant had originally been scheduled to close on May 31, 2025, the department said.
The order takes effect on Nov. 15 and runs through Feb. 12, 2027, the department said. The emergency conditions behind its original order persist, with continuing concerns about the reliability of the Midwest electricity grid.
The department directed the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which coordinates the regional electricity grid, to work with Consumers Energy Company to keep the plant available. The Campbell plant is in West Olive, Michigan, the department said.
The order also requires economic dispatch, the selection of power generation to meet demand at the lowest cost, the department said. That requirement aims to minimize costs for households and businesses while keeping the plant available for emergencies.
The planned May 2025 closure would have come 15 years before the end of the plant’s scheduled design life, the department said. It described keeping Campbell available as part of the Trump administration’s effort to prevent coal plants from closing early.
More than 17 gigawatts of coal-fired generating capacity nationwide avoided going offline in 2025, the department said. It attributed that outcome to President Donald Trump and said many of those plants supply electricity during periods of peak demand.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said keeping plants such as Campbell available had prevented blackouts and likely saved lives. The statement gave no figure for outages prevented or lives saved, and it did not quantify the cost savings it said the order would bring.
“Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining,” Wright said.
The department cited a joint assessment by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the corporation’s regional entities. The assessment covered events during the winter 2026 Arctic cold period, including Winter Storm Fern.
Those events demonstrated the need for generating capacity that grid operators can call on when required, including facilities such as Campbell, the department said. It cited that need as a reason to keep the Michigan plant available through the coming winter.
