ORLANDO — The Trump administration issued an emergency order on June 4 that allowed a Florida coal-fired power plant to continue operating. The Orlando Utilities Commission, the second-largest municipal utility in Florida, had scheduled the facility, Stanton Energy Center Unit 1, for retirement in 2025.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited a Florida energy emergency as the reason for the order, which he attributed to facility shortages and expected demand from the state's data center industry. The order, which remains active through September 1, stated that potential power curtailments or outages posed a risk to public health and safety. The order also referenced a February cold snap that strained utility resources.
The utility serves over 288,000 customers in Orange and Osceola counties. The planned retirement of the Stanton Energy Center Unit 1 was part of the utility's initiative to transition to renewable energy sources, with a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The utility stated, "As a result of the order, the utility will not be able to place Stanton Energy Center Unit 1 into extended cold shutdown at this time." The utility added, "We will fully comply with the order while continuing to prioritize the safe and reliable delivery of electricity to our customers and community."
Similar emergency orders to prevent coal plant closures have been issued in Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, and Washington. These orders are issued under a federal law designed for temporary emergencies, according to Ted Kelly, director and lead counsel for clean energy at the Environmental Defense Fund.
Kelly stated that the administration has continuously renewed the temporary emergency orders. He said, "Effectively every large coal plant that was scheduled to retire since the Trump administration started, they have issued one of these orders and stopped it from retiring." Kelly added, "It really has been a harmful disruption for the federal government to come in and say, 'You can't close down any coal plants.'" According to the fund, an analysis by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation indicates that continued operation of these coal plants is not necessary to meet electricity demand. The organization estimated that the continued operation of the J.H. Campbell coal plant in Michigan since May 2025 has cost families and businesses more than $180 million.