A Bold Stand from Plant Operators (Image Credits: Pixabay)
Northwest Colorado power providers Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Platte River Power Authority petitioned the U.S. Department of Energy last week to reverse an emergency order delaying the retirement of an aging coal-fired unit.[1][2]
A Bold Stand from Plant Operators
The owners of Craig Station Unit 1 delivered a forceful challenge to the Trump administration’s directive, marking the first time utilities have directly contested such a federal intervention.[1] Tri-State, a nonprofit cooperative, and Platte River, which serves communities like Fort Collins, filed their 38-page petition on January 29, 2026, just after the Department of Energy invoked rarely used emergency powers.[3] The unit had been scheduled to shut down on December 31, 2025, following years of planning.
Tri-State CEO Duane Highley emphasized the financial burden on members. “We do not take this request for a rehearing lightly, but as not-for-profit entities, we face issues that other utilities do not, because it is our members that ultimately are going to pay for the cost of this order,” Highley stated.[4] Platte River CEO Jason Frisbie added that his organization had proactively secured replacements. The petition demands a formal hearing, with potential lawsuits looming if the DOE does not respond within 30 days.[1]
Inside the Craig Generating Station Dispute
Craig Unit 1, a 427-megawatt facility in Moffat County that began operations in 1980, forms part of the larger three-unit Craig Generating Station.[2] The DOE issued its order on December 30, 2025, under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, citing shortages of electric energy and generation facilities across seven Western states including Colorado.[4] The mandate requires the unit to remain available until at least March 30, 2026, with options for renewal…