DOE forced Michigan's J.H. Campbell coal plant to keep running past its planned retirement, citing a claimed emergency
On May 23, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy invoked Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act — an emergency provision — to order Consumers Energy's J.H. Campbell coal-fired plant in West Olive, Michigan to keep operating past its planned May 31, 2025 retirement, citing a claimed national energy emergency. DOE went on to extend the order five more times, keeping the plant running through at least November 14, 2026, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to ratepayers.