Michigan coal power plant, set to close more than a year ago, is again ordered to keep running

But environmental groups have challenged the orders in court, arguing that the Energy Department is misusing its emergency powers when no true emergency exists. Consumers Energy had a plan to replace the Campbell plant with cleaner energy sources, and the state of Michigan and the mid-continent power grid operator had both approved the closure. The push to keep the Michigan coal plant operating is part of a broader Trump administration effort to "reinvigorate and expand America’s coal industry."… 

https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2026-08-15/michigan-coal-power-plant-set-to-close-more-than-a-year-ago-is-again-ordered-to-keep-running 

Feds' order to halt closure of aging Michigan coal plant is illegal, plaintiffs tell judges

"This administration came in with a fixation to funnel Americans' money to the coal industry," he said. "The administration is abusing federal authority to overrule decisions to retire polluting, failing coal plants, letting coal companies pollute the air we breathe and the water we drink — and then charge us the bill."…

 https://www.michiganpublic.org/environment-climate-change/2026-05-15/feds-order-to-halt-closure-of-aging-michigan-coal-plant-is-illegal-plaintiffs-tell-judges

 

Trump order to keep Michigan power plant open costs taxpayers $113m

Critics say JH Campbell coal-fired plant in western Michigan is expensive and emits high levels of toxic pollution…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/28/trump-michigan-power-plant

 

A coal-fired plant in Michigan was to close. But Trump forced it to keep running

Donald Trump has made several unusual moves to elongate the era of coal, such as giving the industry exemptions from pollution rules. But the gambit to keep one Michigan coal-fired power station running has been extraordinary – by forcing it to remain open even against the wishes of its operator...

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/21/jh-campbell-coal-power-plant-michigan-trump-administation

 

EPA affirms its right to limit mercury from power plants, as part of Biden’s broader push to curb climate pollution - The Washington Post

…Biden administration officials are kicking off a crackdown on power plant pollution, aiming to shift the nation's electricity supply to cleaner energy in the face of congressional resistance and a Supreme Court that could limit the federal government's ability to tighten public health standards. 

On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency affirmed its authority to curb mercury from smokestacks, reversing a 2020 Trump administration policy. …

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/01/31/mercury-power-plants-epa-climate/

Germany to close all 84 of its coal-fired power plants, will rely primarily on renewable energy - Los Angeles Times

Germany, one of the world’s biggest consumers of coal, will shut down all 84 of its coal-fired power plants over the next 19 years to meet its international commitments in the fight against climate change, a government commission said Saturday. ....
https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-germany-coal-power-20190126-story.html

The EPA wants to make it harder to limit toxic chemicals from power plants - Vox

Toxic pollution standards save up to 17,000 lives per year, but the EPA wants to change how it measures the benefits. ....
https://www.vox.com/2018/12/28/18159509/mats-mercury-epa-toxic-coal-power-plant

Pruitt Is Gone. But These Five E.P.A. Policy Battles Are Still Ahead - The New York Times

Here's how Andrew Wheeler, Scott Pruitt's successor, is expected to roll back rules on power plants, water pollution, car emissions and more. ....
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/06/climate/pruitt-wheeler-epa.html

The Trump administration is paying off his supporters - The Washington Post: Opinion

The administration wants to force power plants to use coal. It's a payoff to Trump's voters, everyone else be damned.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/06/01/the-trump-administration-is-paying-off-his-supporters/

Tesla is installing Powerwalls and solar power on 50,000 homes to create biggest virtual power plant in the world | Electrek

Tesla has been making big moves on the energy storage market in Australia, but they are now all being dwarfed by this new project that will see them install solar arrays and Powerwalls on 50,000 homes to create the biggest virtual power plant in the world.....
https://electrek.co/2018/02/04/tesla-powerwall-solar-virtual-power-plant/

Netherlands to end coal power by 2030, closing down new plants

In a coalition agreement, the government formed by Mark Rutte promised to close all coal plants by 2030, including three that were only completed in 2015...  http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/10/11/netherlands-agrees-coal-phase-calls-stronger-2030-eu-emissions-target/

Russian Hackers Linked to Breaches at U.S. Nuclear and Power Plants -- The Daily Beast

A series of sophisticated computer intrusions at electric companies and nuclear plant operators this year has been traced back to a hacking group called "Dragonfly" and "Energetic Bear" that's been previously linked to Russia, according to a new report from the computer security company Symantec, which has seen about 100 such breaches since the start of the year, half of them in the U.S. ...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/breaches-at-us-nuclear-and-power-plants-linked-to-russian-hackers

Taxpayers Pay Cost for Coal Companies to Pollute

Dalal Aboulhosn, the Sierra Club's Deputy Legislative Director for Land and Water, says EPA Director Scott Pruitt is ignoring true costs and benefits in his support for coal companies' "bottom line"....
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQkzV9gx4KQ&feature=youtu.be

Clean water advocates tell Trump administration to ‘stop pandering to polluters’ -- ThinkProgress.org

"It's not a left thing. It's not a right thing. It's a people thing." Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Program, center, and other environmental advocates speak out against the Trump administration's delay of power plant waste rule. ...
https://thinkprogress.org/clean-water-advocates-tell-trump-administration-to-stop-pandering-to-polluters-5716f3bb24b

Hackers Have Been Targeting US Nuclear And Power Plants, And Russia Is Reportedly Suspected -- BuzzFeed News

Homeland Security and the FBI said they "are aware of a potential cyber intrusion affecting entities in the energy sector." Russia is reportedly the chief suspect. ...
https://www.buzzfeed.com/briannasacks/hackers-have-been-targeting-us-nuclear-and-power-plants

Trump’s EPA is reconsidering a rule that limits mercury from power plants

The Trump administration on Tuesday asked a court to delay arguments over a rule that prevents coal-fired power plants from releasing heavy metals into the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (MATS) rule has been in place for two years, but, “in light of the recent change in administration” the agency now says it wants time to “fully review” the findings. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit was expected to hear oral arguments for the case on May 18....
https://thinkprogress.org/mats-delay-pruitt-trump-5c9ad958b44f

Coal-fired power plants linked to low birth weights in downwind communities

A new study on the birth weight of babies born in areas downwind of a coal-fired power plant has reached a troubling conclusion: Babies in the study area were 50 percent more likely to have low birth weight than their counterparts in non-affected areas....
https://thinkprogress.org/cross-border-health-impacts-infants-fab074e97810

6 major countries have recently announced imminent phase-out of all coal-fired power plants

As of late, the idea of getting rid of coal in their own national electricity grid has become a popular one among several major nations across the world. At 6 least major countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and now Finland, have all recently announced the imminent phase-out of all coal-fired power plants.

Several of the announcement have been made just in the past few weeks since the Paris Agreement became effective earlier this month....
https://electrek.co/2016/11/25/6-major-countries-phase-out-coal/

Why Coal-Fired Power Plants Are Devastating a Water System Near You

The canary in the coal mine is singing. The coal industry, which fuels around 33 percent of electricity generation in the United States, is collapsing, hastened by competition, low natural gas prices and sluggish growth in electricity demand. In addition, the coal industry has been battered by new federal standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that limit the amount of mercury and other air pollutants, including toxic metals like arsenic. The new rules are forcing utility companies to shutter their coal-fired power plants and launch new plants that combust natural gas....
http://www.alternet.org/environment/why-coal-fired-power-plants-are-devastating-water-system-near-you