Trump Forces Costly Florida Coal Plant to Run Past Retirement, Raising Costs for Everyday Customers

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Trump Administration invoked its so-called “energy emergency” to force the Stanton coal plant in Orlando to remain open beyond its planned retirement at the end of May 2026.

The facility, which was scheduled to go into extended cold shut down—meaning it will stop generating electricity and power down in preparation for retirement—was part of a closure plan that the Orlando Utilities Commission had been preparing for since 2020, when the retirement was incorporated into utility’s ten-year site plan. The closure also aligned with the City of Orlando’s commitment to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, with interim clean energy goals guiding progress along the way. Stanton’s retirement was a key part of this transition plan.

According to an updated Sierra Club analysis, the Stanton coal plant is responsible for an estimated 45 premature deaths each year due to air pollution. Beyond these drastic health consequences, keeping the plant operational will also increase costs for customers across the region. According to the Sierra Club’s Burning Money map, extending Stanton’s operations will cost Florida ratepayers an additional $233,560 per day. Those costs will ultimately be passed on to households and businesses through higher utility bills.

Stanton is now the sixth coal plant and seventh power generation facility overall to receive an emergency order of this kind. Since May 2025, the Trump administration has repeatedly invoked section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act to prevent the retirement of aging and uneconomic fossil fuel plants, beginning with the J.H. Campbell facility in Michigan.

In response, Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director Susannah Randolph issued the following statement:

“This is a gross misuse of emergency authority that puts the interests of the coal industry ahead of the health and financial wellbeing of Floridians. Stanton Unit 1 was slated for retirement because it no longer made economic or environmental sense to keep it running. By forcing it to remain open, the Trump Administration is increasing costs for families already struggling with rising utility bills, prolonging harmful pollution, and delaying the clean energy transition that utilities across the country are already embracing.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.