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Judge rejects Trump's forced coal plant extensions
The gist
A US appeals court ruled the Energy Department exceeded its authority in forcing Michigan's 64-year-old J.H. Campbell coal plant to stay open.
The case tests how far emergency powers can override state grid decisions across several states.
How it unfolded
- May 2025The J.H. Campbell Generating Plant's scheduled retirement date, which it was kept open past.
- 2025Keeping the Michigan plant open cost at least $135 million in 2025 alone, officials said.
- Sep 11, 2026A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled the Energy Department exceeded its authority in forcing the plant to stay open past its retirement date, and said there was no real emergency under the law.