A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a Trump administration order that forced a coal plant in Michigan to stay open past its retirement date. The Energy Department had ordered the J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive, Michigan, to keep running despite plans to close in May 2025, citing an "energy emergency." A three-judge panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled the administration overstepped its emergency powers.

The state of Michigan sued, joined by Illinois, Minnesota, and environmental groups. Judge Cornelia Pillard emphasized that states decide how to manage power generation. Michael Lenoff, lead attorney for Earthjustice, said the court agreed emergency authority is for actual emergencies, not picking preferred resources.

Consumers Energy, which owns the plant, began preparing years ago to shut down the 64-year-old facility. It cost $259 million to comply with the emergency orders through June. Coal use has been declining for decades, replaced by natural gas, solar, and wind.