U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Sept. 25 issued an emergency order that directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Southwest Power Pool, Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project, PacifiCorp, and Public Service Company of Colorado to take all measures necessary to ensure that Unit 1 at the Craig Station in Craig, Colorado is available to operate.
For the duration of this order, SPP is directed to take every step to employ economic dispatch of Craig Unit 1 (446.4 megawatts) to mitigate the risk of blackouts and minimize costs to taxpayers, DOE said.
Unit 1 of the coal plant was originally scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025, but in December 2025 and twice in 2026, Wright issued emergency orders directing Tri-State and the co-owners to ensure that Craig Unit 1 remains available to operate.
The availability of Craig Unit 1 to operate will continue to be an asset to maintain reliability in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) Rocky Mountain region and is necessary to address elevated reliability risks in the region during atypical weather and reduce the risk of power outages that could threaten public health and safety, DOE said.
This order is in effect beginning on September 27, 2026, through December 25, 2026.
