DOE orders MISO to keep Michigan coal plant available through summer peak

The U.S. Department of Energy has ordered the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, working with Consumers Energy, to keep the J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Michigan, available through August 16, 2026.

DOE said the order, issued under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, is aimed at protecting grid reliability and limiting costs during the summer peak demand period. The department said the order took effect on May 19.

The Campbell plant had been scheduled to retire, but DOE has now directed continued availability while the Midwest enters its highest-demand stretch of the year. The department said the plant remains important to MISO operations.

Michigan officials are still fighting the federal directive in court. The state attorney general’s office has argued that DOE exceeded its authority and that the plant should be allowed to close.

The latest order extends the dispute into mid-August, keeping the plant available for the rest of the summer peak unless the legal challenge changes the timetable.

DOE’s order page says the directive runs through August 16. The department’s announcement framed the move as a reliability action ahead of summer demand, while opponents say it is an unlawful attempt to keep an aging coal plant open.