{
  "id": 6781964,
  "title": "US court blocks Trump administration bid to keep Michigan coal plant open",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/us-court-blocks-trump-administration-bid-to-keep-michigan-coal-plant",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-11T17:48:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/us-court-blocks-trump-administration-bid-to-keep-michigan-coal-plant-open-4898295"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A federal appeals court has dismissed a Trump administration order that compelled a Michigan coal plant to stay open past its scheduled closure date. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declared that the Department of Energy (DOE) had overstepped its authority using a seldom-used emergency provision of federal law. Michigan objected to the order, which was issued by the DOE in 2025, shortly before the plant's planned retirement. This ruling presents a setback for the administration's attempts to sustain coal-fired power generation in the face of increasing U.S. electricity demand, driven by the growth of data centers. Coal power plants are major contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, which drive climate change. Since the beginning of 2025, the Trump administration has utilized emergency powers under the Federal Power Act to keep several aging power plants operating, including coal plants in Michigan, Indiana, Washington state, and Colorado. The DOE has not yet commented on the decision. The ruling arrives a month after the DOE extended an emergency order to keep the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in Michigan running until November 14. This plant was expected to close in 2025 due to economic reasons. The decision to keep the plant running cost its utility, Consumers Energy, $295 million from May 2025 to June 2026. Consumers Energy spokesperson Brian Wheeler stated that their company is currently reviewing the ruling and continues to comply with the current 90-day DOE order, which allows the Campbell plant to stay open. Michigan's attorney general's spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Environmental lawyer Michael Lenoff from Earthjustice criticized the DOE's decision in a statement, stating that the department should only use its emergency powers in genuine emergencies, and not as a means to accelerate coal plant retirements as part of a pro-coal agenda.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Trump says he’s open to Chinese automakers building cars in the U.S.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/trump-says-hes-open-to-chinese-automakers-building-cars-in-the-u-s",
        "published": "2026-09-12T02:41:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}