The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Mar. 23 that emergency orders have been issued to keep two Indiana coal-fired power plants operating, aiming to maintain affordable and reliable electricity for the Midwest region. The directive affects specific generation units at the R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations, which had been scheduled for closure at the end of 2025.
Officials say these actions are necessary to reduce the risk of blackouts and minimize electricity costs as demand continues in the area. “The last administration’s energy subtraction policies had the United States on track to likely experience significantly more blackouts in the coming years—thankfully, President Trump won’t let that happen,” said Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The Trump Administration will continue taking action to keep America’s coal plants running to ensure we don’t lose critical generation sources. Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power their homes all the time, regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
According to department data, both Schahfer and Culley played a crucial role during extreme winter weather earlier this year by providing steady megawatt output when other resources were less available due to conditions affecting intermittent energy production.
Department officials noted that since initial emergency orders were issued on December 23, 2025, these facilities have proven essential during periods of high demand within MISO’s service territory.
DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report projects that outages could increase by up to one hundred times by 2030 if dependable power sources are retired too quickly without adequate replacements online.
NERC has warned in its recent assessment that shifting toward weather-dependent resources while reducing fuel diversity increases supply shortfall risks during winter months—a concern cited as justification for extending operations at these sites.
While this order keeps certain coal units running through June 21, efforts continue elsewhere in federal policy circles focused on clean energy transitions and grid resilience measures: The Department of Energy previously announced a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supporting resilient building codes according to DOE. Other recent initiatives include outreach about global clean energy transitions as shared by Secretary Jennifer Granholm, technology development support for environmental cleanup missions according to DOE testimony, innovative passive processes addressing groundwater issues at former coal sites as reported by DOE Office of Environmental Management, funding opportunities targeting cleaner transportation technologies announced by DOE, and programs supporting equitable investment under Justice40 as outlined by DOE.
These emergency orders reflect ongoing debates over how best to balance immediate grid reliability needs with longer-term goals related to clean energy transition.
