The Trump administration has again ordered the coal-fired Campbell power plant in West Michigan to remain open, despite Consumers Energy’s plan to shut the plant down last year.

Clean energy advocates say the move is unnecessary and will lead to higher consumer costs and more carbon pollution than renewable energy sources.

Michelle Solomon, energy manager for the nonpartisan policy think tank Energy Innovation, called the order a “swift kick in the wallet” for Michigan ratepayers.

“Electricity consumers are paying double for the electricity that they would need that’s coming from this coal plant because they’re already paying for the new resource in addition to now paying for the coal plant that’s being kept online,” Solomon pointed out.

The state of Michigan, along with other states and environmental groups, has sued to block the Trump administration from using emergency powers to keep the plant open. Solomon argued keeping Campbell online is costing Michigan consumers an extra $180 million, when it could be replaced with a natural gas or renewable energy facility.

The federal order has forced coal-fired plants in Michigan, Colorado, Washington state and Indiana to remain open despite plans to close them. The plants are being kept in operation by a series of 90-day Department of Energy orders. The Trump administration argues that the needs of new AI data centers and plans to shut other U.S. coal plants create an energy emergency. Solomon disagrees.

“Keeping these coal plants online that utilities and regulators and states have been planning to retire just doesn’t make sense in any way, shape or form, whether it’s economic, whether it’s climate-related,” she contended.

Solomon stressed forcing the coal plants to stay open is also causing the facilities to break down and go offline. She noted natural gas produces roughly 50% less carbon than coal, and renewable energy emits little or no pollution.

“This coal plant is over 50 years old,” Solomon emphasized. “It’s inefficient, it’s highly polluting, so it just means that this plant is staying online longer and continuing to contribute to a lot of pollution in the community.”

Source: Public News Service