Consumers Energy to Continue Operating J.H. Campbell Coal Plant Amid Winter Reliability Concerns
A recent emergency order from Energy Secretary Chris Wright has resulted in Consumers Energy increasing its monthly costs by $20 million to keep the J.H. Campbell coal plant operational, primarily driven by concerns about electric reliability for the upcoming Winter 2025-26 season. However, new data from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. suggests that the Midwest grid may not face the heightened risk of insufficient operating reserves previously predicted, potentially rendering this costly measure unnecessary and contradicting Consumers Energy's previous plan to decommission the plant, which could save Michigan ratepayers nearly $600 million by 2040.
