The U.S. Department of Energy announced on Mar. 23 that emergency orders have been issued to keep two Indiana coal plants running, aiming to maintain affordable and reliable electricity in the Midwest. The directive affects units at the R.M. Schahfer and F.B. Culley generating stations, which were previously scheduled for shutdown at the end of 2025.
The decision comes amid concerns about grid reliability and potential blackouts if these generation sources were taken offline. The Department said the orders prioritize minimizing electricity costs and reducing blackout risks for consumers in the region.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said, “The last administration’s energy subtraction policies had the United States on track to likely experience significantly more blackouts in the coming years—thankfully, President Trump won’t let that happen.” Wright continued, “The Trump Administration will continue taking action to keep America’s coal plants running to ensure we don’t lose critical generation sources. Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power their homes all the time, regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
Recent extreme winter weather demonstrated these plants’ importance: from January 23 through February 1, Schahfer operated above 285 megawatts daily while Culley ran at around 30 megawatts nearly every day. Since initial emergency orders on December 23, 2025, both facilities have supported high demand periods when intermittent energy production was low.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, other federal initiatives include a $225 million program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at implementing updated building energy codes nationwide. In addition, former Secretary Jennifer Granholm encouraged international collaboration toward clean energy transitions during her tenure.
Technology development also plays a role in national cleanup missions; William White from DOE’s Office of Environmental Management highlighted laboratory involvement before Congress in July 2022. At some sites like Savannah River Site (SRS), innovative passive processes using crushed marble are being used by DOE contractors to address groundwater issues left by former coal-fired power operations.
Other recent DOE programs include a $96 million funding opportunity announced in July 2022 for advancing clean vehicle technologies such as electric drive components and expanding charging infrastructure according to DOE. Additionally,146 programs supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative aim to direct investments into disadvantaged communities through grants focused on efficiency and resilience.
As outlined in DOE’s Resource Adequacy Report referenced by Secretary Wright’s office, projections indicate outages could increase dramatically if reliable generation assets are retired prematurely—a concern echoed by NERC’s Long-Term Reliability Assessment warning about risks posed by shifting resource mixes during winter months.
