U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to address grid reliability and minimize the risk of power outages in the Midwest. The directive instructs 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 required to take steps to reduce costs for consumers.
The Campbell plant was originally scheduled for shutdown on May 31, 2025, well before the end of its design life. Since a previous Department of Energy (DOE) order on May 23, the facility has played a key role during periods of high demand and low renewable energy output.
“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.”
DOE’s Grid Reliability Evaluation indicates that if reliable power sources are taken offline at current rates, power outages could increase significantly by 2030.
The emergency order will remain in effect from August 21 through November 19, 2025.
According to a May 2025 assessment by NERC referencing NOAA forecasts from April and June 2025, parts of the Midwest face an increased likelihood—up to a 50% chance—of above-normal temperatures this summer (https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-above-normal-2025-atlantic-hurricane-season). This heightened risk comes as MISO faces resource adequacy issues throughout all seasons. In response, MISO sought and received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in August 2022 to revise its resource adequacy requirements from a summer-only focus to year-round planning (https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-approves-miso-year-round-resource-adequacy-requirements).
MISO explained that “Reliability risks associated with Resource Adequacy have shifted from ‘Summer only’ to a year-round concern.”
