Trump administration forces coal power plant near Craig to continue operating
The Colorado Sun••general
Key Points:
- The Trump administration has ordered Tri-State Generation and Transmission to keep the coal-powered Craig Unit 1 running through March 2026, citing emergency electricity needs due to increasing demand and generation shortages.
- Craig Unit 1 was set to close to comply with clean air regulations and economic reasons, but the plant suffered a recent mechanical failure and would require costly repairs and operations estimated at $85 million annually, with fuel being the largest expense.
- Colorado officials and environmental groups sharply criticized the order, arguing it will raise costs for ratepayers to keep an outdated and currently non-operational coal plant open, conflicting with state goals to retire coal plants by 2031 for cleaner energy.
- The Colorado Public Utilities Commission previously approved the plant’s closure, stating
