Federal Order Keeps 60-Year-Old Michigan Coal Plant Running

May 28, 2025--Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The federal government used an emergency order to keep the 60-year-old J.H. Campbell coal-fired plant running in Michigan, citing the risk of high demand this summer, though a local group said the order was unnecessary. Soaring temperatures along the U.S. Gulf Coast led to "brown outs" for more than 100,000 customers and businesses last week after the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) ordered restrictions to prevent widespread problems on the grid. On Friday, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright used expectations of high electricity demand for the upcoming summer as reason to declare an emergency that keeps the 1.5-gigawatt J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant running in Michigan, situated in MISO's territory.