April 23, 2026 - On Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s Administration moved to finalize a consent decree allowing the coal-fired Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations to continue operating while completing environmental upgrades. In response, America’s Power President and CEO Michelle Bloodworth issued the following statement:  

“Pennsylvania’s decision to allow the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations to continue operating recognizes the need to continue operating coal power plants that provide reliable and low-cost power to utilities serving the MidAtlantic cities from Newark to Washington DC, including Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. 

“These facilities provide more than 3,400 megawatts of always-available, fuel-secure electricity to the regional grid, have long served as a backbone of the PJM Interconnection, and have many more years of useful life ahead of them. Preserving this capacity is especially important as electricity demand increases and as more than 10,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation is scheduled to retire in PJM in the next five years. It is also important to note that the North American Reliability Corporation has designated the PJM region as being at high risk of electricity shortages over the next five years. 

“This outcome was made possible by recent federal actions to provide states and operators with greater flexibility under EPA’s Effluent Limitations Guidelines regulation. We appreciate the Trump Administration’s efforts to revisit rules to better align them with the operational realities of maintaining a reliable, fuel-secure electric grid.

“Across the United States, more than 49,000 megawatts of coal capacity is slated for retirement over the next five years, at a time when grid operators are warning of increasing reliability risks. Actions like this help avoid premature retirements that could drive up electricity prices for families and businesses and undermine grid reliability.

“Keystone and Conemaugh are not only critical energy assets, but also economic anchors for their communities and an important source of demand for the domestic coal supply chain. Their continued operation supports jobs, strengthens local economies, and reinforces the reliability of our nation’s electricity system.

“We commend Governor Shapiro and his administration for working to keep these facilities online while ensuring environmental progress. As electricity demand grows, it is essential to ensure that critical baseload resources, especially coal power plants, continue to operate.”