Attorney General Nessel, community leaders demand immediate closure of J.H. Campbell Coal Plant one year after Trump ordered it to stay open
Ottawa County, Michigan – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined community leaders, environmental advocates, and impacted residents Thursday at Windsnest Park to demand the immediate closure of Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell coal plant, citing rising costs to ratepayers, public health concerns, and ongoing pollution.
The press conference marked one year since the Trump administration ordered the plant, which had already been scheduled for closure, to remain open for a made-up “energy emergency.” Organizers noted that the original 90-day order has since been extended four times, and the plant’s operation ignores the utility’s closure plan and the decisions of state regulators.
“On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order that falsely and improperly declared a national ‘energy emergency,’ while simultaneously excluding support for affordable, renewable energy sources. The real energy emergency is the one Trump himself is creating,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Meanwhile, the JH Campbell coal plant has cost hundreds of millions of dollars to operate – costs Michigan ratepayers will be forced to pay. We will be intervening to stop the most recent extension and will do so as many times as necessary to protect Michigan residents from these unlawful orders.”
Advocates said the decision to keep the plant operating has already cost ratepayers an estimated $180 million as of the end of March and continues to add more than $620,000 every day it remains open. Organizers also highlighted that the plant’s closure had been planned for years and was projected to save Michigan residents and businesses approximately $600 million by 2040.
“President Trump promised to lower energy costs in half during his first year in office. Instead, he’s forcing outdated and expensive coal plants like Campbell to stay open and energy costs are skyrocketing,” said Bentley Johnson, federal government affairs director for Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Keeping the Campbell coal plant open has cost $180 million since the end of March, and ratepayers will be on the hook to pay these increased costs on their energy bills. Our bills are too damn high, and we need more leaders, like Attorney General Nessel, to step up and fight back against excessive federal overreach that’s driving up our energy costs.”
“For too long, Black communities, low-income families, seniors, and frontline neighborhoods have carried the burden of pollution while also paying some of the highest energy costs relative to income,” said Kareem Scales, chair of the NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Environmental Justice Committee and CEO & Founder of Scales Consulting LLC. “The continued operation of the J.H. Campbell coal plant represents both an environmental justice issue and an economic justice issue. Michigan families should not be forced to subsidize outdated fossil fuel infrastructure at the expense of their health, their air quality, and their financial stability. We are calling for a clean energy future that prioritizes people, affordability, accountability, and the long-term well-being of our communities.”
“The U.S. Department of Energy’s orders don’t identify any emergency, and they ignore state law and all the careful planning done by the power plant’s owner and the Michigan Public Service Commission, not to mention regional electric grid managers. These orders override decisions made in the public interest and result in more toxic pollution of the air and water for the surrounding communities here in western Michigan,” said Sameer Doshi, senior attorney with Earthjustice.
“The Department of Energy has fabricated what they are calling an ‘energy emergency’ which we know is simply unfounded and untrue. This administration is beholden to the coal industry and is set on making climate and environmental inequities worse for communities on the frontlines, ”said Sergio Cira-Reyes lead strategist, Environmental Justice Team, Urban Core Collective.
The event featured remarks from:
- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel
- Michigan League of Conservation Voters
- Impacted local resident, Dr. Donald Sheill, MD
- NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Environmental Justice Committee Chair, Kareem Scales
- Sergio Cira-Reyes, Urban Core Collective
- Sameer Doshi, Earthjustice
“This sham energy emergency that the Trump Administration is using to keep the Campbell coal plant open simply doesn’t exist,” said Jan O’Connell, senior energy organizer with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter. “The Sierra Club is focused on the real emergencies: astronomical utility bills, health issues and a climate crisis worsened by toxic fuel emissions from an aging coal-powered plant.”
The Campbell plant is Consumers Energy’s last remaining coal plant and one of Michigan’s largest sources of air pollution. According to an analysis by the Clean Air Task Force, pollution from the plant is linked to 66 deaths, 17 heart attacks, and nearly 150 asthma attacks annually, and roughly $1 billion annually in health-related costs.
“As a mother to a son with asthma, this is personal for me. Soot and other pollutants associated with coal-fired power plants disproportionately affect children, including contributing to asthma attacks, respiratory illness, lung cancer, heart attacks and strokes, metabolic disorders, and nervous system impacts. Michigan families like mine are paying for this illegal and expensive order with our health and our wallets,” said Elizabeth Hauptman, Michigan field manager, Moms Clean Air Force.
You can view a livestream recording of the event here.