Federal court rules against Trump order keeping Michigan coal plant running

A federal appeals court on Friday struck down an order from the Trump administration keeping a Michigan coal plant open past its planned retirement.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Energy Department went beyond its authority when it ordered J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in West Olive to remain open through at least the end of the summer after it was slated to shut down in May 2025.

The 64-year-old coal plant was set to close as part of a transition to cleaner energy after Consumers Energy spent years preparing to retire it. Michigan regulators and the regional grid operator had approved the plan.

Days before the plant was set to close, Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered it to remain open, warning of possible electricity shortages and blackouts in the Midwest as summer demand increased.

“[The] emergency order ensures that Michiganders and the greater Midwest region do not lose critical power generation capability as summer begins and electricity demand regularly reach high levels,” Wright said in a statement announcing the order.

The order was challenged by Michigan officials, Illinois, Minnesota and several environmental groups, who sued the Trump administration to block the order.

The three-judge appeals court sided with the plaintiffs on Friday, finding that the Energy Department did not prove that there was a real emergency under federal law.

The emergency authority is “essentially a narrow, last-resort backstop,” Judge Cornelia Pillard, who was appointed by former President Obama, wrote for the unanimous panel.

The court said the power is meant for situations requiring immediate federal actions, not broader concerns about whether enough electricity will be available in the future.

The Associated Press found that the cost to keep the plant in Michigan operating beyond its May 2025 retirement reached roughly $259 million so far, citing new financial filings.