WASHINGTON-U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order to address critical grid reliability issues in the Midwest. The emergency order directs the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO), in coordination with Consumers Energy, to ensure that the 1,420-megawatt (MW) J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant (Campbell Plant) in West Olive, Michigan is available to operate and to employ economic dispatch to minimize costs for American families and businesses. The Campbell Plant was originally scheduled to shut down on May 31, 2025, 15 years before the end of its scheduled design life.
Since the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) original order issued on May 23, 2205, the Campbell Plant has proven critical to MISO’s operations, operating regularly during periods of high energy demand and low levels of intermittent energy production. Subsequent orders were issued throughout 2025 and 2026. This order is in effect beginning on August 17, 2026, through November 14, 2026.
“President Trump and the Energy Department remain committed to doing everything in our power to mitigate the possibility of power outages for American families and businesses,” Secretary Wright said. “Ensuring coal plants such as the Campbell Plant are available to operate during periods of high electricity demand saves lives. Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
In January 2026, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released its 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment. NERC assessed that the MISO region is at high risk of energy shortfalls over the next five years, stating that it faces significant reliability challenges as “projected resource additions do not keep pace with escalating demand forecasts and announced generator retirements.”
NERC released its 2026 State of Reliability (SOR) on June 4, 2026. In its technical discussion of major system events, NERC states “shoulder reasons have become increasingly challenging for bulk power system operators to manage, resulting in several recent instances of pre-contingent load shedding.”
As outlined in DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report, prior to President Trump’s election, the U.S. was on track to potentially experience 100 times more blackouts in 2030 due to the premature shutdown of reliable power generation sources and increased electricity demand.
Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, coal plants across the country are reversing plans to prematurely shut down. In 2025, more than 17 gigawatts (GW) of coal-powered electricity generation were saved from going offline.