Governor Shapiro’s decision to extend Pennsylvania’s two dirtiest coal plants increases costs and pollution harms

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is seeking court approval of a consent decree with the operator of the Keystone and Conemaugh coal-fired power plants to continue operations beyond their scheduled retirement dates.

“Governor Shapiro’s decision to allow Pennsylvania’s two dirtiest coal-fired power plants to remain open beyond their planned closings is completely unwarranted. Aging coal plants are scheduled to retire for a reason. They're expensive, unreliable and harmful to our health. Keeping them on life support will not make electricity more affordable for families and businesses, especially when renewable sources like solar and wind, and battery storage, are a faster and cheaper way to meet the commonwealth’s growing power needs. What Pennsylvanians can’t afford is an energy policy stuck in the past,” said Ted Kelly, Director and Lead Counsel for U.S. Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund.

The decision comes after the Trump administration has extended five highly polluting coal plants in Michigan, Indiana, Colorado and Washington past their retirement dates. The order mandating that the J.H. Campbell coal plant in Michigan operate beyond its retirement date already has cost ratepayers more than $135 million, or $600,000 a day, according to financial filings.