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Court Blocks Federal Emergency Orders for Michigan Coal Plant

By Stocks Desk · 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-09-13 01:23 UTC
A large industrial coal-fired power plant with tall smokestacks emitting white steam against a grey sky
Illustration: Tradingbird

A federal panel has invalidated DOE emergency orders keeping the J.H. Campbell coal plant running, ruling that standard summer demand does not meet the statutory definition of an emergency. The decision, described as a narrow last-resort backstop, rebukes the administration for repeatedly invoking this authority to override state-approved plans to replace the aging facility with cleaner energy sources despite significant costs and pollution.

  • Per GN auto stocks/utilities: power plant, the ruling specifically cites the D.C. Circuit's opinion that the emergency statute is a narrow last-resort backstop, while highlighting that the plant’s continued operation has cost $259 million and emitted significant pollutants since May, figures that Environmental Defense Fund counsel Ted Kelly argues contradict the administration's energy emergency claims.

    Source: truthout.org
  • According to reporting from GN auto stocks/utilities: power plant, the administration has invoked the Federal Power Act's emergency provision six times to maintain the plant's operation, a tactic the court ruled was a misuse of authority intended for genuine crises rather than resource preference.

    Source: cleantechnica.com
  • A federal panel invalidated DOE emergency measures designed to keep the J.H. Campbell Power Plant operational, ruling that standard summer demand does not constitute a statutory emergency.

    Source: gizmodo.com
Based on reporting by gizmodo.com, cleantechnica.com and truthout.org, compiled by the Tradingbird desk.

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