Fossil Fuels & Generation
Sun, Oct 18
Molly Glick
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
·Posted in Fossil Fuels & Generation

NEWS: A new bill would bar the DOE from pushing off power plant retirements.

  • The details: A proposed House bill would prohibit the DOE from wielding emergency orders to prevent or delay power plant retirements (or to revive shuttered facilities). 

  • The context: Over the past year and a half, the DOE has used Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to extend fossil-fired plant operations dozens of times. These orders have delayed the retirement of nearly 4.5 GW of coal capacity.

  • The pushback: This strategy has faced plenty of legal challenges. One of them recently notched a major win: Last month, a federal appeals court vacated an extension order for a Michigan coal plant. This decision could influence similar cases around the country.

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