Environmental, Consumer Groups Challenge Trump’s Unlawful Coal Plant Extensions - CleanTechnica

Seven environmental and consumer advocacy groups, including the Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Earthjustice, are challenging the Trump Department of Energy’s recent decision to unlawfully extend the operation of two aging coal power plants in Indiana. The plants—the R.M. Schahfer power plant and a unit at the F.B. Culley generating station—were scheduled for retirement in December 2025 but were forced to remain online under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. This move is seen as an attempt to prop up the struggling coal industry at the expense of consumers, as operating these outdated plants is expected to be extremely costly, with Schahfer requiring over $1 billion in expenditures and Culley Unit 2 needing an additional $70 million. The groups argue that these extensions will drive up electricity costs for customers across Indiana and ten other states, exacerbating an already difficult affordability crisis marked by rising utility bills and grocery costs. They contend that the federal government has manufactured a false