U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order aimed at reducing the risk of power outages and addressing grid security concerns in the Midwest. The directive requires the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), working with Consumers Energy, to keep the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan available for operation. MISO is also instructed to minimize costs for consumers.
The Campbell plant, which was originally set to close on May 31—15 years before its scheduled end of life—has played a key role in meeting energy demand since a previous Department of Energy (DOE) order was issued on May 23. The facility has operated regularly during periods when demand is high and production from intermittent sources is low.
“The United States continues to face an energy emergency, with some regions experiencing more capacity constraints than others. With electricity demand increasing, we must put an end to the dangerous energy subtraction policies embraced by politicians for too long,” said U.S.Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “This order will help ensure millions of Americans can continue to access affordable, reliable, and secure baseload power regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
According to DOE’s Grid Reliability Evaluation, if reliable power sources are removed from service, power outages could increase by as much as 100 times by 2030.
The new order takes effect August 21, 2025 and remains in place until November 19, 2025.
Background information highlights that resource adequacy issues in MISO are not confined to summer months. In November 2021, MISO requested approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to change its planning process so that capacity requirements would be set for each season instead of only based on peak summer needs—a request approved by FERC in August 2022 (Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc., FERC Docket No. ER22-495-000). This shift reflects MISO’s view that reliability risks have become a year-round concern rather than just a summer issue.
Recent seasonal outlooks from NOAA indicated increased chances for above-normal temperatures across parts of the Midwest this summer. An April forecast estimated a 33%-40% probability; this was raised to between 40%-50% in June.
MISO explained that “Reliability risks associated with Resource Adequacy have shifted from ‘Summer only’ to a year-round concern.”
