Overview
- The D.C. Circuit, which heard arguments Friday, is weighing a bid to void DOE emergency orders that kept the J.H. Campbell coal plant running and extended to four other plants.
- Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and nine nonprofit groups say the orders break the law and are unnecessary, citing a recent Midcontinent market auction that showed more capacity without the plant.
- The administration says the orders protect grid stability as power demand rises from data centers and new factories, and notes the law lets DOE act before blackouts.
- Challengers say DOE has renewed the Campbell directive four times and used a tool that past administrations reserved for short, local crises like storms.
- Keeping plants online has added costs for customers, with Consumers Energy reporting at least $18 million to keep Campbell operating and TransAlta logging nearly $20 million in three months at Centralia.