NEWS: A first: The DOE has lost a court challenge to its emergency coal orders.

What happened: A federal appeals court has overturned the DOE’s order to extend the lifetime of Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell coal plant in Michigan. Why? The authority wielded here by the agency is meant for actual emergencies, the court said—not Energy Sec. Wright’s dubious claim of reliability risks in the Midwest. And it’s up to states, grid operators, and utilities to handle supply and demand, according to the ruling.

What’s next: This case addressed the first DOE emergency order for J.H. Campbell…which the agency has renewed six times (costing ratepayers over $180M). It’s unclear how the ruling impacts the order currently in effect, but Consumers said it’s keeping Campbell running for now. 

The big picture: This decision could bolster legal challenges to similar DOE orders extending the lives of six other fossil fuel plants throughout the country.