Appeals Court Hears Challenge to 5 Coal Plant Orders as Costs Top Hundreds of Millions
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Appeals Court Hears Challenge to 5 Coal Plant Orders as Costs Top Hundreds of Millions
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Friday’s D.C. Circuit hearing will test the legality of Energy Department orders that have kept five aging coal plants in four states running past planned closures.
Nearly a year of repeatedly renewed 90-day directives has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars, with much of the bill expected to fall on ratepayers.
Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and nine nonprofit groups argue there is no qualifying energy emergency; the case centers on the J.H. Campbell plant in West Olive, Michigan, but could affect all five facilities.
The Trump administration says the orders are needed to meet rising power demand and protect grid reliability, pointing to coal plant use during a winter cold snap as evidence.
The dispute sits inside a broader Trump push to revive coal through looser emissions rules and upgrade funding despite the industry’s long decline and health concerns.
Is the 'energy emergency' a real crisis or a manufactured reason to override planned clean energy transitions?
With AI's thirst for power growing, who pays the price for keeping aging, costly coal plants online?