A unanimous three-judge panel at the DC Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the DOE's emergency declarations that kept Michigan's J.H. Campbell coal plant open, ruling they did not meet the statutory requirements of the Federal Power Act. While the case directly affects only one plant, the legal reasoning invalidates all similar DOE emergency declarations used to block coal plant closures nationwide.
Background
The Trump administration has pursued aggressive measures to prop up coal-fired power plants despite a nearly two-decade decline in coal use on the US electricity grid. The DOE invoked emergency provisions under the Federal Power Act to repeatedly extend plant operations beyond their scheduled closures.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 12, 2026 at 04:32 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10