3 Ridiculous Things About Donald Trump Forcing A Coal Power Plant To Stay Open - CleanTechnica

The article by Steve Hanley criticizes the Trump administration, specifically the Department of Energy led by a fossil fuel billionaire, for forcing a Michigan utility company to keep an outdated and polluting coal power plant operational despite having a newer natural gas plant built to replace it. This mandate is described as absurd and counterproductive, especially given the administration’s contradictory stance on climate change: denying global warming publicly while invoking emergency powers due to expected extreme heat to justify keeping the coal plant running. Hanley highlights this as a hypocritical and environmentally harmful approach that exacerbates global heating rather than addressing it responsibly. Additionally, the article points out the irony of a Republican-led government, which typically advocates for limited government intervention, imposing a heavy-handed federal order that disrupts market efficiency and forces Consumers Energy to maintain an uneconomical power source. This intervention leads to higher electricity costs for ratepayers across Michigan and 14 other states, with no prior consultation from state regulators or grid operators. The author condemns this as unnecessary government overreach that increases financial burdens on consumers while undermining clean energy progress, labeling the policy as “brilliant idiocy” for its counterproductive and costly consequences.