The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Mar. 23 that it has issued emergency orders to keep two coal-fired power plants in Indiana operational, aiming to ensure affordable and reliable electricity for the Midwest region. The directive affects the R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations, whose certain units were scheduled to close at the end of 2025.
The decision is intended to address concerns about grid reliability and prevent blackouts as energy demand continues and intermittent energy sources fluctuate. The emergency orders require Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), CenterPoint Energy, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to take necessary steps so that specified generation units remain available through June 21, 2026.
“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 Energy Secretary 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.” Wright said these actions are focused on minimizing electricity costs for consumers while reducing blackout risks.
According to DOE reports, during recent extreme winter weather from January 23–February 1, both Schahfer and Culley played a key role in meeting high electricity demand by operating at over 285 megawatts (MW) daily for Schahfer and around 30 MW daily for Culley. Since DOE’s original orders were issued on December 23, 2025, these plants have continued supporting MISO operations during periods when other energy production was low.
DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report warns that if reliable power sources are taken offline without adequate replacements, outages could increase significantly by 2030—a risk highlighted by ongoing emergency conditions in MISO’s service area. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) also cautioned in its latest assessment that increased reliance on weather-dependent resources may heighten supply shortfalls during winter months.
Meanwhile, efforts toward clean energy transition continue elsewhere within DOE initiatives: a $225 million program was launched to support resilient building codes; Secretary Jennifer Granholm called upon international leaders to join discussions on clean energy; national laboratories emphasized technology development for environmental cleanup; innovative groundwater solutions were applied at former coal sites according to DOE Office of Environmental Management; $96 million was allocated for clean vehicle technologies; and more than one hundred programs now support equity-focused investments under President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative as reported by DOE.
Looking ahead, officials say these emergency measures are temporary but necessary as long-term strategies evolve amid changing resource mixes across regional grids.
