US issues order to keep Colorado coal plant available through summer
US issues order to keep Colorado coal plant available through summer June 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order to keep a coal-fired power unit in Colorado operational to ensure reliable electricity supply, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday.
The order directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project, PacifiCorp and Xcel Energy XEL.O subsidiary Public Service Company of Colorado, to keep Craig Station Unit 1 ready to operate at the direction of the Southwest Power Pool.
The unit had been scheduled to retire at the end of 2025, but Wright issued earlier emergency orders in December 2025 and March 2026 requiring it to remain available.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has used emergency powers to keep some aging coal- and gas-fired power plants operating beyond planned retirement dates, citing grid reliability concerns.
Wright said retiring reliable generation could threaten grid reliability and increase costs during peak summer demand.
The department cited reliability concerns in the Rocky Mountain region, including aging thermal generation and supply-chain constraints.
The latest order runs from June 29 through September 26.
(Reporting by Pranav Mathur in Bengaluru)