OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — One of the last remaining coal-fired power plants in Michigan will keep operating under an extended emergency order from the U.S. Department of Energy.
The J.H. Campbell facility in western Ottawa County was slatted for decommissioning in June 2025, but on May 23, Energy Secretary Chris Wright ordered the plant be kept open, citing power grid stability.
That order drew criticism from Democrats and environmental leaders, even challenges from Michigan's Attorney General.
At the time, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, known as MISO, which manages the flow of electricity in 15 U.S. states and Manitoba in Canada said there should be enough electricity during the peak demand summer season, though it cited the potential for "elevated risk" during extreme weather.
The energy department extended the order three times since, on August 20, 2025, November 18, 2025, and, most recently, on February 17.
WATCH: Look inside J.H. Campbell plant before its scheduled decommissioning in 2025
In the latest renewal, Secretary Wright cited studies from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NAERC) which claim the MISO area is at risk of having insufficient power generating capacity during high demand events.
“The continuing shift in the resource mix toward weather-dependent resources and less fuel diversity increases risks of supply shortfalls during winter months," the NAERC said in a 2025 study on long-term reliability.
The order to keep the Campbell plant open, along with similar demands preventing the shut down of other coal-fired plants across the U.S., helped saved lives, Secretary Wright claimed.
“Hundreds of American lives have likely been saved because of President Trump’s actions saving America’s coal plants, including this Michigan coal plant which ran daily during Winter Storm Fern," said Wright. "This emergency order will mitigate the risk of blackouts and maintain affordable, reliable, and secure electricity access across the region.”
The latest extension of the emergency order is scheduled to expire after May 18.
