LANSING, Mich., Nov. 14, 2025 — This week, state Reps. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens) and Julie Brixie (D-Meridian Twp.) called on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) via House Resolution 219 to rescind its emergency orders and allow the J.H. Campbell coal plant to retire as originally planned. The plant was scheduled to close on May 31, 2025, following years of planning by Consumers Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission and the regional grid operator, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). However, the Trump administration issued emergency orders to keep the plant running, arguing the plant helps combat the energy crisis, despite a lack of evidence supporting the argument. 

The plant contributes nearly 9 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually, and pollution from coal plants has been linked to serious negative health effects for local residents.

“The J.H. Campbell coal plant is releasing dangerous pollutants into our air and water,” Mentzer said. “This leads to several negative health impacts for Michiganders, ranging from asthma and heart conditions to cancer. Continuing to operate this plant poses serious risks of further pollution which costs Michigan’s families hundreds of millions in health costs each year.”

“Trump forcing us to keep this plant open is as dangerous as it is unnecessary” Brixie said. “Back in 2017, a monitoring well near the plant measured arsenic levels at nearly six times the federal limit for drinking. This plant is damaging our environment and Michiganders’ health, and it is essential that the DOE rescind this order and allow the plant to close.”

The emergency order is also in direct contradiction to Consumers Energy’s goal to stop using coal as a source of fuel by 2025. Because of that, the resolution urges the DOE to respect state decisions and support the transition to clean energy. 

“Rather than continuing to rely wholly on coal power, Michigan needs to diversify and shift to clean energy,” Brixie added. “Closing this plant has been the plan for years now, and we already have the necessary power replacements through wind, solar and natural gas that make the plant unnecessary.”

“The decision to keep Campbell open comes at a time when costs for everything are up and Michigan families are having to make hard decisions of whether to pay their light bill or put food on the table,” said Bentley Johnson, Federal Government Affairs Director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Despite promising to bring energy costs down, Trump’s policies are causing them to skyrocket, and the impact is being felt right here in Michigan.”

“For nearly two decades, the Sierra Club has been sounding the alarm on J.H. Campbell’s clear threat to the health, safety and wallets of Michiganders. It was through that work that the original shutdown date for Campbell was agreed upon by state regulators, the private utility and the community,” said Tim Minotas, Legislative and Political Director for Sierra Club Michigan. “The so-called energy emergency the Trump administration is using to keep Campbell open simply doesn’t exist. We’re focused on the real emergencies: astronomical utility bills and a climate crisis exacerbated by toxic fossil fuel emissions from an aging coal-powered plant.”

“The past six months have proven that Campbell is not filling a need that would otherwise be unmet. The coal plant is not only inefficient as a power generator, it is an especially dirty polluter compared to other available power sources,” said Mark Oppenhuizen, a local resident who has lived near the plant for 30 years. 

Oppenhuizen added that his family had counted on the plant closing as they fear that pollution from it has made his wife’s lung disease worse.

“This resolution is about responding to needless federal overreach and reaffirming our state’s right to self-determination,” Mentzer concluded. “It’s also about recognizing the importance of transitioning to cleaner, more affordable energy solutions to protect local residents from dangerous pollutants. We know the adverse effects coal plants can have on the health and well-being of our communities and environment — it is my hope that this emergency order ends, restoring our ability to determine our state’s energy future. This resolution is a key step to protecting our environment, our communities and advocating for responsible energy policy in Michigan.”

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