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Craig Power Plant. Deposit Photos
Craig Power Plant. Deposit Photos
Colorado sues to overturn Craig coal plant order
ColoradoBiz Staff //March 18, 2026//
DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit seeking to overturn an emergency order issued by the U.S. Department of Energy requiring the coal-fired Craig Unit 1 to remain available until March 30.
In Brief:
- Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a petition to overturn a federal order keeping Craig Unit 1 available past its planned retirement.
- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the order under emergency authority in the Federal Power Act.
- The order requires the coal-fired unit to remain available 90 days beyond its Dec. 31, 2025 retirement date.
- Colorado asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to declare the order unlawful and vacate it.
The Energy Department issued the order Dec. 30, 2025 under its emergency authority in the Federal Power Act. The order required the unit to remain available for 90 days beyond its planned Dec. 31, 2025 retirement date. The department has renewed similar orders for other coal plants across the country every 90 days.
“The long-anticipated retirement of Craig Unit 1 and replacing it with cleaner and more affordable energy resources was the result of a carefully planned process that was driven by economics,” Weiser said. “There is no energy emergency, and stopping the Craig unit’s retirement would not ease any imagined energy need.”
Weiser filed a request for rehearing Jan. 28 asking the Energy Department to rescind the order. He argued the action interferes with the state’s authority to manage power generation resources in Colorado and that the department did not follow procedures required for emergency orders. Two owners of the Craig plant also asked the federal government to allow the unit to close as scheduled.
The petition filed in the D.C. Circuit follows the Energy Department’s denial of the rehearing request. The court is also hearing challenges to similar emergency orders issued in other states.
The state is asking the court to declare the order unlawful, vacate it and grant other relief.
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