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 operational. MISO is also instructed to take steps to minimize costs for consumers.
The Department of Energy’s initial order was given on May 23, and since then, the Campbell plant has played a key role during times of high energy demand and limited intermittent energy production. The facility had been slated for closure on May 31, which would have been 15 years before its design life ended.
“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 dependable sources are removed from service at current rates, outages could increase significantly by 2030.
The new order will remain in effect from August 21 through November 19, 2025.
Background information referenced includes a May 2025 NERC Summer Reliability Assessment that cited NOAA’s April outlook predicting a higher likelihood—between 33% and 40%—of above-normal temperatures in parts of the Midwest during summer. NOAA later raised this estimate in June to between 40% and 50%.
MISO’s challenges related to resource adequacy extend beyond summer months. In late 2021, MISO requested approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to change how it manages capacity requirements—from focusing solely on peak summer needs each year to setting requirements for all four seasons instead. This revision was approved by FERC on August 31, 2022 (https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20220831-3073).
MISO explained that reliability risks associated with resource adequacy have shifted from being just a summer issue to a concern throughout the year.
