Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday issued emergency orders further extending the operation of three generating units at two Indiana coal plants that were slated to retire last year. The first orders to keep the units online were issued in December.
- DOE has issued a series of orders using section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to keep units at six fossil plants online since May. Sierra Club has developed a cost tracker, and says those plants have added more than $280 million to American consumer bills in the last 10 months.
- Both Indiana plants were essential to grid operations during Winter Storm Fern in January, DOE said. And, “the emergency conditions that led to the issuance of the original orders persist.”
Dive Insight:
According to DOE, since the original 202(c) orders were issued last year the two coal plants “have proven critical” to operations in the Midcontinent ISO region, “operating during periods of high energy demand and low levels of intermittent energy production.”
MISO did not immediately respond to questions.
One order directs CenterPoint Energy and MISO to “take all measures necessary” to ensure that Unit 2 at the F.B. Culley generation station in Warrick County, Ind., is available to operate. The order is in effect through June 21, 2026. There are two coal-fired units at the Culley plant with a combined nameplate capacity of 369 MW, according to DOE. Unit 2 is about 104 MW and was slated to close in December…