West Olive, Mich. — The Trump administration has once again extended the life of a Michigan coal-fired power plant that was supposed to close last May as the utility Consumers Energy transitions to cleaner sources of electricity.

The U.S. Energy Department says there are “emergency conditions” that require the J.H. Campbell power plant to remain open to meet electrical demand in the central U.S. Otherwise, the government warned Tuesday, homes and businesses might go dark.

Critics scoff at that claim, and environmental groups and Michigan's attorney general have gone to court to try to overturn orders keeping the plant online.

“The costs of unnecessarily running this jalopy coal plant just continue to mount,” Earthjustice lawyer Michael Lenoff said.

The Campbell plant opened in 1962 ne

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