DOE emergency order keeps Michigan coal plant online through November

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order directing the Midwest Independent System Operator, in coordination with Consumers Energy, to keep the 1,420-megawatt J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan available to operate and to employ economic dispatch to minimize costs for American families and businesses. The order is effective beginning on August 17, 2026, through November 14, 2026.

The Campbell Plant was originally scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2025, fifteen years before the end of its scheduled design life. The emergency order follows the Department of Energy's original order issued on May 23, 2205, and subsequent orders issued throughout 2025 and 2026. Since that original order, the plant has proven critical to MISO's operations, operating regularly during periods of high energy demand and low levels of intermittent energy production.

In January 2026, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation released its 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, identifying the MISO region as at high risk of energy shortfalls over the next five years. The 2026 State of Reliability, released June 4, 2026, noted that "shoulder reasons have become increasingly challenging for bulk power system operators to manage, resulting in several recent instances of pre-contingent load shedding." DOE's Resource Adequacy Report warned that the United States could face "100 times more blackouts in 2030" without reliable generation.

Secretary Wright said, "President Trump and the Energy Department remain committed to doing everything in our power to mitigate the possibility of power outages for American families and businesses...Ensuring coal plants such as the Campbell Plant are available to operate during periods of high electricity demand saves lives." The notice also cites that more than 17 gigawatts of coal-powered electricity generation were saved from going offline in 2025.

The order binds MISO and Consumers Energy to keep the Campbell Plant available and to use economic dispatch to reduce costs for families and businesses during the specified period.