Trump again extends life of expensive Campbell Coal Plant as energy costs skyrocket

Trump Department of Energy issues third 90-day extension as costs balloon at an alarming rate of $615,000 a day

WEST OLIVE, Mich. – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters today blasted the Trump administration’s decision to further extend the life of the aging J.H. Campbell coal plant – a decision that will increase energy costs for Michiganders at a time when we already pay the highest rates in the Midwest.

“Energy bills are skyrocketing and costs for everything are going up, yet the Trump administration just guaranteed another rate hike for Michiganders,” said Alex Kellogg, energy accountability manager for Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “President Trump fabricated a false ‘energy emergency’ to keep this outdated, expensive fossil fuel plant open – even though it was days away from being shut down. His move to keep Campbell open is making our bills higher and our energy dirtier just to score political points with the dying coal industry that backed him heavily in the election.”

After years of careful planning and regulatory approvals, the Campbell coal plant, which is located in western Michigan and owned by Consumers Energy, was set to close at the end of May. The decision was expected to save taxpayers roughly $600 million dollars by 2040. But just days before the plant was to close the Trump administration kept it and other coal plants in the country open under the guise of a fake “energy emergency,” even though Consumers had already replaced Campbell’s output with clean, renewable energy sources and a new natural gas plant. The cost of keeping Campbell open according to Consumers is more than $615,000 a day.

“The markets have already shown us that coal is no longer an economically viable source of energy. That’s why Consumers Energy decided to close the plant in the first place. The Trump administration’s interference with our state’s energy plans is reckless and will cost Michiganders millions of dollars in increased energy costs,” added Kellogg. 

Campbell, which is located in West Olive, Michigan, is one of the worst greenhouse gas emitters in the state.  The decision to keep the outdated and obsolete Campbell plant open has already cost more than $80 million dollars as of September 30, according to Consumers Energy. 

An April report from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, the regional grid operator responsible for ensuring electricity reliability across 15 states confirmed there is sufficient energy supply for the grid accounting for the closure of the Campbell Coal Plant. 

Consumers Energy has already discussed recovering the costs of keeping it open from customers across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Missouri and Kentucky.

Coal plants are among the dirtiest ways to produce electricity. They emit tons of harmful pollutants like mercury, sulfur dioxide and fine particulate matter, which are linked to asthma, heart disease, and premature death. Keeping the Campbell plant running exposes West Michigan residents, particularly vulnerable children and seniors, to avoidable air pollution.