US court rejects Trump’s emergency order keeping Michigan coal plant open

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Published: 2026-09-12T22:10:26.943Z • Permanent link

US President Donald Trump's emergency order to keep the Donaldson Power Plant in Michigan operational has been rejected by a federal court. The plant, which is owned by Dominion Energy, was set to close in October following a federal ruling that it did not meet new emissions standards. Trump had intervened in the matter, arguing that the plant was too important to the local economy and that the new standards were too stringent.

The court's decision was made by a panel of three federal judges, who found that Trump's action was an overreach of executive authority. The judges ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to deny the plant's request for a waiver was final and could not be overturned by a presidential order. The ruling was seen as a major victory for environmental groups, who had been fighting to close the plant for years.

The decision was also seen as a significant setback for Trump's efforts to roll back environmental regulations. The plant's closure was part of a broader effort by the EPA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from power plants. The ruling is likely to embolden other environmental groups and regulatory agencies, who are pushing for further action to address climate change.

The rejection of Trump's emergency order has significant implications for the energy industry, particularly for companies that rely on coal to generate electricity. Dominion Energy, the parent company of the Donaldson Power Plant, has already begun to invest in new technologies and infrastructure to reduce emissions from its plants. The company has announced plans to build new gas turbines and wind farms to reduce its reliance on coal.

Environmental groups, on the other hand, are celebrating the ruling as a major victory. The Sierra Club, a prominent environmental organization, released a statement hailing the decision as a "major win for the environment". The organization's executive director, Michael Brune, said in a statement that the ruling "makes it clear that the Trump administration is not going to be able to undermine the law and ignore the science on climate change".

The rejection of Trump's emergency order is part of a larger pattern of environmental rollbacks under the Trump administration. In recent years, the administration has rolled back a range of environmental regulations, including rules on carbon emissions, clean water standards, and wildlife protections. The decision to reject Trump's emergency order is seen as a significant challenge to these efforts, and may embolden environmental groups and regulatory agencies to push for further action.