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Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions
Nation & World Politics
Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions
March 29, 2026 at 10:00 am Updated March 29, 2026 at 10:00 am
Train cars loaded with coal sit on the tracks at a Blackjewel mining operation on Aug. 22, 2019, in Cumberland, Ky. (Scott Olson / Getty Images North America / TNS)
By Alex Brown
Stateline.org
In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open.
Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump’s efforts to save the dwindling coal industry have forced plant operators to continue investing in the facilities — a move that some consumer advocates fear could mean billions of dollars in added costs for customers in dozens of states.
Trump has long positioned himself as a champion of coal, making it a centerpiece of his “energy dominance” agenda. The emergency orders issued by his administration claim that the grid is at risk of energy shortfalls, and the coal plants are needed to ensure a reliable power supply.
But state officials in many places affected by the orders say that’s not true.
“Rather than allowing the realities on the ground, the regulators and the utilities to make rational decisions about how to meet energy needs, we have the Trump administration trying to do Soviet-style central planning to push an ideological agenda that will drive costs to customers,” said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office.
{snip}
____
Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at abrown@stateline.org.
____
Alex Brown.
©2026 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post or Bloomberg News. Rather, we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff. You can read more about our community policies here.
Trump is forcing coal plants to stay open. It could cost customers billions
March 29, 2026 at 10:00 am Updated March 29, 2026 at 10:00 am
Train cars loaded with coal sit on the tracks at a Blackjewel mining operation on Aug. 22, 2019, in Cumberland, Ky. (Scott Olson / Getty Images North America / TNS)
By Alex Brown
Stateline.org
In an unprecedented use of federal authority, President Donald Trump’s administration has invoked emergency powers to force a series of retiring coal plants to stay open.
Utilities, states and grid operators have said the aging plants are expensive, in bad repair and no longer needed to meet regional energy needs. But Trump’s efforts to save the dwindling coal industry have forced plant operators to continue investing in the facilities — a move that some consumer advocates fear could mean billions of dollars in added costs for customers in dozens of states.
Trump has long positioned himself as a champion of coal, making it a centerpiece of his “energy dominance” agenda. The emergency orders issued by his administration claim that the grid is at risk of energy shortfalls, and the coal plants are needed to ensure a reliable power supply.
But state officials in many places affected by the orders say that’s not true.
“Rather than allowing the realities on the ground, the regulators and the utilities to make rational decisions about how to meet energy needs, we have the Trump administration trying to do Soviet-style central planning to push an ideological agenda that will drive costs to customers,” said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office.
{snip}
____
Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at abrown@stateline.org.
____
Alex Brown.
©2026 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post or Bloomberg News. Rather, we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff. You can read more about our community policies here.
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