Trump Keeps Several U.S. Coal Plants Running, Defying ‘End of Coal’ Predictions

The Trump administration last week blocked plans to shut down a generator unit at a coal-fired power plant in Colorado. [some emphasis, links added]

The order, which will keep the unit running through March 2026, cites analyses finding that the grid would be unable to supply enough electricity during periods of high demand, such as a major storm.

“Keeping this coal plant online will ensure Americans maintain an affordable, reliable, and secure supply of electricity. The Trump administration is committed to lowering energy costs and keeping American families safe,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.

The Colorado unit wasn’t the only coal facility the administration preserved. On Dec. 17, Wright ordered the last coal power plant in Washington to remain operational. It was slated for retirement at the end of last month.

On Christmas Eve, Wright also blocked the closure of two coal-fired power plants in Indiana, which were to be shuttered the following week.

In November, Wright extended an order to keep a coal plant in Michigan running, the third such extension the energy secretary issued.

Just a few years ago, activists were predicting that coal was on its last leg, but the administration’s support for fossil fuels, as well as developing countries’ hunger for cheap energy, are pushing the activists’ hopes of coal’s demise further into the future.

Emily Arthun, CEO of the American Coal Council, told Just the News that an adequate electricity supply is key to the success of American industry and the development of AI, and coal is still an important energy resource in meeting those needs.

“The industry is very optimistic,” Arthun said. “We know there’s an energy crisis and that coal is a valuable player in stabilizing the grid.”

Electricity emergency

Coal produces more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than any other fossil fuel, making it the target of states such as Colorado that have aggressive emissions-reduction targets.

The Colorado unit was scheduled to be shut down on Wednesday, and it was to be another step in the state’s goal to eliminate its six remaining coal-fired power plants by 2031.

Wright’s orders cite an analysis by the DOE and the most recent long-term assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the continent’s grid watchdog, showing the electricity supply is inadequate to meet periods of high demand.

Under federal law, the Energy Secretary has the authority when an emergency exists, including a shortage of electricity, to make temporary orders regarding electricity infrastructure to address the emergency.

The Sierra Club commissioned Grid Strategies, a power-sector consulting firm, to do a report on the costs of keeping the Colorado unit running. The report estimates conservatively that the unit will cost $85 million annually, costs that will be passed onto ratepayers.

The report concludes that the costs can be avoided by retiring the unit as planned. However, it makes no policy recommendations, so it doesn’t explore the impacts on grid reliability if those 446 megawatts the unit supplies were to be taken off the grid.

The Sierra Club, which received $1 billion from billionaire Michael Bloomberg as part of a campaign to block consumers from accessing energy from fossil fuels, was quick to tout the study in its opposition to Wright’s orders.

In its statement, the group proposes “affordable, clean energy” to address the problem, but states such as Colorado with renewable energy mandates pay higher electricity rates than those without.

Read rest at Just The News