Trump is still trying to fix Biden’s mistakes.
A major warning sign for America’s energy future emerged this week as Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued an emergency federal order to keep a Michigan coal plant running through the winter — and he says the crisis is rooted in Biden-era decisions that weakened the nation’s power grid.
The Department of Energy confirmed that the Midwest is now at a heightened risk of blackouts, with reliability issues tied directly to the forced retirement of dependable power plants during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Emergency Action to Prevent Winter Blackouts
The directive orders the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Consumers Energy to keep the J.H. Campbell coal plant in West Olive online.
The plant was set to close 15 years early due to Biden’s push to retire coal capacity, even though it remains one of the region’s most reliable sources of baseload power.
Wright made it clear:
“Due to the previous administration’s reckless cuts to reliable energy, our country is still dealing with a full-blown power emergency.”
He emphasized that President Trump’s team is now focused on reversing those harmful policies to protect families from skyrocketing bills and prevent rolling outages during dangerous winter temperatures.
Wind and Solar Fail When the Midwest Needs Power the Most
The DOE revealed that since an initial emergency order issued in May, the Campbell plant has been called upon repeatedly whenever wind and solar output collapsed.
A second emergency order had to be issued in August as grid reliability continued to decline — a trend experts say is the direct result of removing coal, nuclear, and natural gas before replacements were ready.
A federal Resource Adequacy Report warns outages could increase 100-fold by 2030 if the nation continues on the path established under Biden.
Federal Reliability Analysts Sound the Alarm
Two recent NERC winter reports identified the MISO territory as facing higher-than-normal risk. Even if the season brings milder temperatures, the Midwest may still come up short on reserve power — highlighting just how unstable the grid has become after years of politically driven plant closures.
These findings continue to confirm what conservatives have warned for years: energy security cannot rely on weather-dependent sources alone.
Order Extended Through Early 2026
The new emergency extension takes effect immediately and will remain in place through February 17, 2026.
Wright said the decision ensures the Midwest has access to firm, dispatchable energy — the type that keeps homes warm regardless of wind or sunshine.
Midwest Still Paying the Price for Biden’s Energy Agenda
MISO’s April 2025 Planning Resource Auction showed that new energy additions are nowhere near enough to replace the massive loss of coal and gas plants forced offline during Biden’s tenure.
Grid operators now warn that reliability threats are year-round, not just during heat waves.
Wright said the updated emergency order reflects the long-term reality:
America is still dealing with the consequences of Biden’s energy policies — and restoring reliability is now essential for national security and household stability.