Michigan is challenging a Trump administration order to keep the aging J.H. Campbell coal plant running, arguing the Energy Department broke federal law by declaring an "energy emergency." The plant was scheduled to shut down in May 2025 but was ordered to stay open despite the national shift away from coal to cheaper natural gas and renewables.

The court case involves significant financial stakes, with the cost of keeping coal plants open on government orders reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. Consumers Energy, the plant's majority owner, has invested in a natural gas plant and seeks to recover approximately $43 million in net costs incurred under the federal order.

Environmental groups joined Michigan in the legal challenge, warning that extending the plant's operation leads to higher electricity bills and increased air pollution. The plant emitted 36 pounds of mercury from June to December 2025, contributing to a 9% nationwide increase in mercury emissions from coal plants last year.