Trump Orders Colorado Coal-Fired Power Station to Stay Open

The U.S. Department of Energy has ordered another coal-fired power plant to stay open beyond its retirement date, this time in Colorado.

The power plant near Craig, around 200 miles northwest of Denver, received the federal order one day before it was scheduled to close on Wednesday for economic reasons and to comply with numerous state and federal requirements.

Keeping the aging plant open will mean additional costs for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and other co-owners of the Craig Station power plant and will likely require more investments in operations, repairs, maintenance, and fuel supply, according to the operator.

“Tri-State has a policy of 100 percent compliance, and we will work with Unit 1 co-owners, and federal and state governments to determine the most cost-effective path to that end,” said Duane Highley, Tri-State CEO, in a statement. “We are continuing to review the order to determine what this means for Craig Station employees and operations, and the financial impacts.”

The unit has the capacity to generate 427 megawatts. It unexpectedly suffered a mechanical failure on Dec. 19 after a valve failed. Tri-State and other co-owners will need to repair the valve before it can reopen the unit, according to the operator.

As a not-for-profit cooperative, the membership is expected to bear the costs of compliance with the order unless the entity can identify a method to share the costs with others in the region, according to Tri-State.

The emergency order, issued under the Federal Power Act, will be in effect until March 30, 2026.

Tuesday’s action is the latest taken by Energy Secretary Chris Wright to keep coal-fired power facilities open across the country. It follows similar orders in Indiana, Washington state, and Michigan this year.

“On Day One, President Trump declared an energy emergency and directed the government to reverse the dangerous energy subtraction policies of the previous administration,” Wright said in a statement. “Keeping this coal plant online will ensure Americans maintain an affordable, reliable, and secure supply of electricity. The Trump administration is committed to lowering energy costs and keeping American families safe.”

Keeping the Craig Station plant operating is essential to provide a reliable and stable supply of power to the region as Americans head into the winter months, according to Wright.

Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.) reacted to the Trump administration’s order, saying the power plant is important to the community around the plant.

“Affordable power still matters. Reliable power matters. And the people who keep the lights on matter,” Hurd said in a video post on X. “This is not about clinging to the past, it’s about being honest about the present. You can’t power a modern economy or keep the lights on with ideology or wishful thinking from politicians or bureaucrats. And you can’t sacrifice entire communities to satisfy activists who are never going to feel any of those consequences.”