U.S. Energy Department Extends Emergency Order to Keep Michigan Coal Plant Running Through Winter

The U.S. Department of Energy on Nov. 19 issued an emergency order directing the Midcontinent Independent System Operator to ensure continued availability of the J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Michigan through Feb. 17, 2026. The department determined that grid conditions in the Midwest remain strained heading into the winter season, with the region facing recurring risks of inadequate reserves during periods of high demand and limited output from variable resources.

The department previously issued similar emergency orders on May 23 and Aug. 20 requiring continued operation of the Campbell facility to support system stability. Since the initial action, the plant has played a significant role in maintaining reliability during tight supply periods, operating frequently when demand increased and renewable generation was limited. The plant had been scheduled to retire on May 31, 2025, well ahead of its design life, but officials found that the emergency conditions cited in the earlier orders remain in place.

DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report warned that power outage risks could grow substantially by 2030 if dependable generating units are taken offline faster than replacement capacity comes online. Recent winter reliability reviews by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation for 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 assessed the grid operator’s northern and central areas, including Michigan, as having an elevated likelihood of shortfalls under above normal conditions due to insufficient operating reserves.

MISO’s ongoing capacity constraints reflect broader structural issues. The grid operator’s April 2025 Planning Resource Auction results for the 2025–2026 planning year showed that new additions in northern and central zones were not enough to offset reduced capacity contributions, retirements, and fewer external resources. Reliability challenges have also become a year-round issue. In 2022, MISO sought Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval to shift from a summer-only construct to seasonal capacity requirements, noting that reliability concerns increasingly span all months of the year.