Michigan

Fossil fuels

Court rules that Trump can’t force a Michigan coal plant to keep running

A long-awaited court decision finds fault with the DOE’s use of “emergency” powers to force aging, costly, polluting power plants to run past their retirement date.

By Jeff St. John .

11 September 2026

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Batteries

In Michigan, LG opens one of America’s biggest battery cell factories

Trump officials touted the storage and EV plant as an example of “energy dominance,” underscoring increasing bipartisan acceptance of grid batteries.

By Claire Hao . 19 August 2026
Nuclear

America’s first nuclear plant restart may be near the finish line

After a few missed targets, Holtec says the remaining tasks to bring Michigan’s Palisades plant back online are equal to restoring service after a routine outage.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 10 July 2026
Solar

In new attack on solar, lawmakers spread myths about potato farms

Misinformation about renewable energy fuels local pushback to proposed energy installations and could threaten farmers’ livelihoods.

By Austyn Gaffney . 1 June 2026
Fossil fuels

Trump admin defends its coal must-run orders in court

The administration told judges that it alone has the power to decide whether an energy emergency exists, a claim that a Michigan official called “unprecedented.”

By Marianne Lavelle . 19 May 2026
Utilities

Ann Arbor, Michigan, prepares to launch its own clean energy utility

Investor-owned utilities have been slow to ditch fossil fuels. The city of Ann Arbor plans to boost access to renewables with a unique model rolling out this year.

By Carey L. Biron . 23 March 2026
Fossil fuels

Trump cites ‘emergency’ to keep Michigan coal plant online into winter

The Energy Department’s orders to keep the J.H. Campbell plant running are driving up costs and pollution. States and advocates are challenging the move in court.

By Jeff St. John . 19 November 2025
Energy markets

Why states are threatening to leave PJM — and why they probably won’t

The grid operator’s high power prices and long interconnection queue have Democratic and Republican governors eyeing an exit, but analysts warn it could backfire.

By Kathryn Krawczyk . 26 September 2025
Fossil fuels

Trump admin orders dirty, expensive coal plant to stay open even longer

Keeping J.H. Campbell open past its slated close is costing Midwest households big. Advocates fear that more such orders are on the way.

By Jeff St. John . 21 August 2025
Nuclear

A retired nuclear plant in Michigan is about to restart, a first for US

The 800-MW Palisades plant received key federal approvals to open three years after shutting down and has ambitious plans to be operational by the end of 2025.

By Eric Wesoff . 29 July 2025
Energy storage

LG opens massive Michigan factory to make LFP batteries for the grid

The $1.4 billion investment onshores production of a popular battery chemistry that had been almost exclusively made in China, amid tariff and tax policy uncertainty.

By Julian Spector . 25 June 2025