The smokestack at the former B.L. England coal- and oil-burning power plant in Upper Township, N.J., is toppled during a demolition on Oct. 26, 2023. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has vowed that the Department of Energy (DOE) will continue to use its authority under the century-old Federal Power Act to stall the planned retirements of up to 54 fossil fuel power plants by 2028 to ensure that the nation’s electric grid can cost-efficiently handle rapidly expanding demand from data centers and use of artificial intelligence.
“We’re stopping the closure of all these plants way before their retirement date,” he told President Donald Trump and fellow Cabinet members during an Aug. 26 White House meeting.
