U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Dec. 23 issued emergency orders to keep units at two Indiana coal plants operational.
The orders direct CenterPoint Energy, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. to take all measures necessary to ensure specified generation units at both the F.B. Culley and R.M. Schahfer generating stations in Indiana are available to operate.
The F.B. Culley Generating Station is an electric generating facility in Warrick County, Indiana. Culley is owned and operated by CenterPoint Energy.
Culley consists of two coal-fired generation units, Unit 2 (103.7 MW) and Unit 3 (265.2 MW), with a combined name plate capacity of 368.9 MW. Unit 2 and Unit 3 began operations in 1966 and 1973, respectively.
Unit 2 was slated to cease operations in December 2025.
The R.M. Schahfer Generating Station is an electric generating facility in Wheatfield, Indiana.
Schahfer is owned and operated by Northern Indiana Public Service Company, a division of NiSource Inc.
Schahfer consists of two 129 MW natural-gas fired units and two coal-fired units, Unit 17 (423.5 MW) and Unit 18 (423.5 MW).
Unit 17 and Unit 18 began operations in 1983 and 1986 respectively. Unit 17 and Unit 18 were both slated to cease operations in December 2025.
“The reliable supply of power from these coal plants is essential for keeping the region’s electric grid stable. The orders prioritize minimizing electricity costs for the American people and minimizing the risk and costs of blackouts,” DOE said.
Both MISO and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) have highlighted reliability risks facing the region. In MISO’s 2024 Reliability Imperative Report, its Chief Executive Officer warned that there are “immediate and serious challenges to the reliability of our region’s electric grid.”
NERC similarly cautioned in its 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment (LTRA) that the MISO region is at an “elevated risk” and is “facing capacity shortfalls in the next five years.”
The orders are in effect beginning on December 23, 2025, and continuing until March 23, 2026.
