The clock is ticking on Craig Unit 1. By the end of this year, the 446-megawatt coal-fired power plant that’s anchored Moffat County’s economy since 1980 is scheduled to go dark. But in a twist that’s become familiar in America’s coal country, the federal government may force it to stay online—at least temporarily.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which operates Craig Station, says it has a “high degree of confidence” the U.S. Department of Energy will issue an emergency order before year’s end to extend Unit 1’s life. The Trump administration has made clear it intends to keep coal plants running, committing $625 million to “reinvigorate and expand” the industry, including $350 million specifically for recommissioning and retrofitting old coal-fired plants.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has framed these interventions as necessary for grid reliability and energy security. The administration has already used Section 202(c) emergency orders to keep coal plants operating in other states, citing concerns about power supply stability.
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