A Michigan coal plant that had been slated to close earlier this year will remain open for the “long term” under orders from the Trump administration, the plant’s operator told financial analysts Thursday.
J.H. Campbell, the 1,560-megawatt facility, had been slated to close in May before Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an emergency directive instructing its owner to keep it open. He issued a second order extending its life in August.
“We continue to see orders from the Department of Energy through the Federal Power Act,” CMS Energy CEO Garrick Rochow told financial analysts during the company’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday. “We expect those to continue for the long term, and we’re prepared to continue to operate the plant and comply with those orders.”
The decision to keep Campbell open has emerged as a flash point. Wright contends fossil fuel plants cannot close at a time when electricity demand is projected to leap because of artificial intelligence and new data center construction. Critics say the decision amounts to a costly political stunt, noting that the plant’s owner had spent years planning for its retirement and lined up replacement generation.
