Energy Secretary Issues Order to Secure Grid Reliability in Midwest
Thanks to an executive order from the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) has been directed to ensure operation of Michigan’s J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant between Aug. 21, 2025 to Nov. 19, 2025. This order has been made amid the country’s energy emergency, continuing the order made on May 23, 2025 to keep the Campbell plant operating through the summer months when energy demand typically spikes up to avoid power outages. This further extends the operation of the Campbell plant from its originally scheduled shutdown on May 31, 2025, which would have been 15 years before the end of the plant’s scheduled design life.
Secretary Chris Wright states that, “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.”
