Federal Emergency Order Keeps Colorado Coal Plant Online Through September
According to Mining.com, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order on Friday directing multiple utilities to keep Craig Station Unit 1 in Colorado available to operate, the third such order issued since the plant’s original scheduled shutdown at the end of 2025.
Market Impact
The order directs Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Platte River Power Authority, Salt River Project, PacifiCorp, and Public Service Company of Colorado (a subsidiary of Xcel Energy) to take all measures necessary to ensure Unit 1 remains available to operate at the direction of the Southwest Power Pool. The order is in effect until September 26.
Wright issued earlier emergency orders in December 2025 and March 2026 for the same facility. “Taking reliable generation off the grid compromises energy reliability and needlessly raises energy costs for Americans,” Wright said in a statement cited by Mining.com. He added that in 2025, more than 17 gigawatts of coal-power electricity generation remained online nationally due to similar intervention.
The Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report found that blackouts were on track to potentially increase 100 times by 2030 if reliable power continued to be taken offline. Separately, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment flagged the Rocky Mountain region as particularly vulnerable, citing an aging thermal resource fleet, unplanned outages, supply chain issues, and vendor availability constraints.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Contract continuity is confirmed through late September. Industrial service contractors, maintenance crews, and equipment vendors working at Craig Station have a firm operational window to plan against. Scope-of-work extensions tied to the September 26 deadline should be negotiated now.
- A fourth order is possible. With two prior extensions already issued, field service companies should treat Craig Station as a longer-term opportunity rather than a wind-down project. Keep resources and personnel available in the region.
- NERC’s warning about aging thermal fleets and supply chain stress creates openings. The reliability assessment specifically flagged vendor availability and supply chain issues at aging coal plants across the Rocky Mountain region. Contractors with parts sourcing, maintenance, and rapid-response capabilities are well-positioned for similar work at other facilities under reliability pressure.
- Utilities are legally obligated to keep the plant running. With a federal emergency order in place, the named utilities have no choice but to maintain operations, which removes project cancellation risk for contractors currently on site.
