A federal appeals court on Friday struck down the Trump administration’s order requiring Consumers Energy’s 64-year-old J.H. Campbell Generating Plant in Michigan to remain open beyond its planned May 2025 retirement. The unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the Energy Department exceeded its authority under the Federal Power Act and that no real emergency justified the order. Judge Cornelia Pillard said the law provides a narrow, last-resort power for immediate action, not a broad tool for addressing future electricity needs. Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and environmental groups had challenged the directive. Consumers Energy said it was reviewing the ruling but would continue operating Campbell under a recent DOE order extending the requirement through mid-November. New financial filings put the cost of keeping the plant open at about $259 million so far. The case is one of several disputes over the Trump administration’s use of emergency powers to keep aging coal plants operating as it cites rising demand from artificial intelligence and data centers. The Energy Department says the orders prevented blackouts and likely saved hundreds of lives during severe winter storms, while critics say they raise consumer costs and prolong avoidable pollution.