A coal-fired power plant in West Michigan that was supposed to go dark over a year ago is still running — and the federal government just extended its lifeline again. For Michigan utility customers, that means the debate over who pays the bill is far from over.
The U.S. Department of Energy has issued yet another emergency order requiring Consumers Energy to keep the J.H. Campbell coal plant operational. Located along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Ottawa County, the plant was originally set to close in the summer of 2025. The latest new order, released late Friday, extends the plant’s forced operation for another 90 days, with the current directive set to expire on February 12, 2027.
The DOE has justified its repeated intervention by pointing to concerns about potential electricity shortages in Michigan during periods of high demand and the winter season. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright defended the decision in a statement:
“President Trump and the Energy Department remain committed to doing everything in our power to stop power outages for American families and businesses.”
Legal Battle Still Unresolved
Michigan’s state government has pushed back hard against the federal orders. The state sued to overturn the DOE’s directive, and in September, a federal judge ruled in Michigan’s favor, finding that the federal government had “exceeded its statutory authority.” Despite that ruling, the DOE is now appealing the decision — meaning the legal fight is ongoing even as the plant continues to run under the newest order.
Ratepayers Could Face Higher Bills
One of the most direct concerns for Michigan residents is the financial impact. Consumers Energy has filed a request to recover the costs of keeping the plant running beyond its planned retirement. If approved, those costs would be passed on to customers through rate increases.
By September, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s office, the added expenses of operating J.H. Campbell had reached $295 million. Attorney General Dana Nessel was sharply critical of the federal government’s approach:
“By forcing its continued operation, DOE tried a never-before-used tactic to illegally prop up the aging J.H. Campbell coal plant that nobody asked to keep, sticking ratepayers with a bill for a facility that should have been retired more than a year ago.”
With the DOE’s appeal still pending and a new 90-day order now in effect, the standoff between federal energy officials and state authorities — and the question of who ultimately bears the cost — remains unresolved.
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