The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has extended an emergency order keeping Unit 1 (446 MW) at the Craig Station (1.4 GW) open beyond its initial retirement date (US Department of Energy statement, 30/03/2026).
Unit 1, which entered service in 1980, was originally scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025. The DOE first issued an emergency order on 30 December 2025, one day before the planned closure on 31 December. The order required the power plant to remain operational through 30 March 2026, with the DOE citing an energy “emergency” in the West due to a “shortage of electric energy, a shortage of facilities for the generation of electric energy and other causes.”
- The order, issued under the Federal Power Act, allows the DOE to keep power plants running during times of crisis, such as war or energy shortages. While such orders last 90 days, the Department of Energy has the authority to extend them indefinitely until it determines that the energy emergency has ended.
- The extension keeps the Craig Station operating through at least 28 June 2026, according to the new order.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the Platte River Power Authority, which co-own Craig Station Unit 1 alongside three other energy providers, oppose keeping the plant running. In January 2026, they asked the DOE to reverse its initial order, stating that their customers will “bear the full cost of complying.” Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced in a press release that it is reviewing the emergency order and continuing to evaluate its legal options, while complying with all applicable requirements.
Craig Station comprises two additional units (Units 2 and 3, rated 446 MW and 535 MW, respectively), both slated for retirement in late September 2028. Coal remains a significant source of supply in the US. As of the end of 2024, coal accounted for 14% of installed power capacity and 16% of the power generation mix (Enerdata Global Energy Research).