Trump's forced coal plant extensions thrown out by judge

The use of coal for electricity generation in the U.S. grid has been declining for nearly two decades, and the initial Trump administration was unable to reverse the trend. The second Trump administration, however, sought to bolster coal usage through more assertive measures, including orders to keep coal plants operational even when there was no immediate need.

The administration used a statute that enables the Department of Energy (DOE) to declare an emergency during wartime or in response to a sudden decline in generation. This assertion was challenged by various entities, including states where coal plants were set to close. In the first legal challenge to reach the courts, a judge ruled that the emergency declaration was not in compliance with the statute.

The case centered on the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in Michigan, which was scheduled to shut down last year but remained open due to five emergency declarations by the DOE, each lasting a maximum of 90 days under the Federal Power Act. The decision, handed down by a unanimous three-judge panel from the DC Circuit's Court of Appeals, applies to all coal plant closures blocked by the DOE.