A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its legal authority by forcing the J.H. Campbell Generating Plant, a 64-year-old coal-fired facility in Michigan, to remain open past its scheduled retirement date. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, ruling unanimously, found that no genuine emergency existed under the Federal Power Act, which permits emergency orders only as a narrow last resort. The decision is a significant setback for the Trump administration, which has used similar emergency powers to keep roughly half a dozen coal plants operating across the country — a policy critics say has already cost Midwest ratepayers approximately $259 million at the Campbell plant alone, while adding unnecessary pollution.