Indiana’s Gov. Braun Ordered Coal Closure Agreements Reopened
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order directing Suzanne Jaworowski, his secretary of energy and natural resources, to revisit legal settlements that shut down or sought to shut down coal-fired power plants in the state. The order targets agreements where a plant was closed before 50 years of service or where no wrongdoing was alleged or found.
The order also covers settlements between plant operators and federal agencies, including the EPA and the Department of Justice, in cases where Indiana was not a party to the original agreement.
7+ gigawatts of Indiana coal electricity generation is set to retire or convert to another source over the next 12 years.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) assessed that Indiana may not have adequate electricity resources to keep pace with projected demand. Braun cited data center growth tied to artificial intelligence, manufacturing reshoring, and consumer electrification as drivers of that rising demand.
Federal Coal Money Is Flowing Into Indiana Alongside the Order
The executive order did not arrive in isolation. In June, the Trump administration renewed an emergency directive keeping two Indiana coal plants operating for a third time, now through September 19, 2025. Energy executives described one of the plants as “inefficient” and “unreliable,” and consumer advocates raised concerns about high costs transferring to ratepayers.
Also in June, President Trump announced $700 million in federal funding for coal infrastructure refurbishment and construction. Indiana’s Merom Generating Station, operated by Hallador Power Co., was among 14 coal plants nationwide included in that announcement.
The combination of federal emergency orders, federal investment, and now a state executive order creates layered pressure to keep aging coal plants operating beyond their originally planned closure dates.
Ratepayers and Environmental Settlements Both Face Uncertainty
Braun’s order specifically instructs Jaworowski to consider the impact of extending retiring plants’ lifetimes on ratepayers. That requirement acknowledges a real tension: coal plants kept open by emergency orders or settlement reversals can pass operating costs to electricity customers. Indiana’s utility regulators will have to weigh those cost questions as the review proceeds.
Environmental groups that negotiated the original closure settlements were not named in the order and may have limited standing to block a state-level review process. The order also directs Indiana agencies to advocate in federal rulemaking for “affordable, reliable baseload electric generation,” a framing that consistently means coal and natural gas over renewables.
What You Can Do Now
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Call Gov. Braun’s office at (317) 232-4567 and tell his staff you oppose reversing coal plant closure agreements without public input. Ask the governor to require public hearings before any settlement is modified.
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Contact your Indiana state legislators through the Indiana General Assembly directory and ask them to hold oversight hearings on the executive order’s potential cost to ratepayers and public health.
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Submit a comment to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission when coal plant extension requests come before them. Find pending cases and filing instructions at iurc.in.gov. Comments from the public become part of the official record.
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Contact Suzanne Jaworowski’s office through the Indiana Office of Energy Development at (317) 232-8940 and ask for a public comment period on any settlement reversals before decisions are finalized.
Sources
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Braun Directs State to Revisit Coal Power Plant Closures North American Electric Reliability Corporation: 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment U.S. Department of Energy: Trump Administration $700 Million Coal Infrastructure Announcement Indiana Office of Energy Development: State Energy Policy and Resources Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission: Pending Cases and Consumer Resources
[Quote: “These consent decrees and settlement agreements should be re-evaluated in light of the current and future need for energy to power existing demand as well as future economic development in Indiana.”, Gov. Mike Braun executive order.
Indiana Capital Chronicle]