A Department of Energy emergency order has forced coal plants to stay open beyond, what some say, are their useful lives. President Donald Trump has prioritized fossil fuels over renewable energy, and that might lead to electricity customers in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin to subsidize the increased costs of keeping the previously set-for-closure coal plants open.
Some advocates for traditional energy claim that coal plants were reliable and saved lives during this colder than normal winter across the country.
The Upper Midwest Newsroom is a public media collaboration between Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, and Minnesota, made possible by a grant by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
