The United States Department of Energy has once again extended an order requiring the Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) to continue operations at its Wheatfield generating station. This decision, announced by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, will be effective from Monday through September 19. The DOE states that removing reliable energy sources could jeopardize energy reliability and increase costs for Americans.
With peak summer demand, Midwest residents need access to affordable and reliable energy to maintain their homes, according to Wright. The order also mandates that the F.B. Culley generating station in Newburgh remain operational. Both facilities were initially set to retire at the end of 2025. The DOE claims this measure will lower electricity costs and prevent unnecessary blackouts, highlighting a previous emergency order’s success in averting blackouts and potentially saving numerous lives. However, environmental and utility proponents argue the extension is cost-prohibitive without clear benefits.
NIPSCO is currently complying with the order, evaluating its impact on its operations, customers, and employees, according to a company spokesperson. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission revealed that Schahfer’s coal units 17 and 18 are broken, with Unit 18 having been offline since the first emergency order in December 2025. Efforts to repair these units are ongoing, focusing on significant turbine and boiler work.
Authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, NIPSCO aims to recover the costs associated with these orders. Even as this process unfolds, the utility remains dedicated to safe operations and providing reliable energy in compliance with the 202(c) order. Representative Frank Mrvan of Highland has expressed his opposition to renewing the emergency order, citing already high energy costs for Northwest Indiana residents.
The increase in utility bills burdens families and businesses throughout the region, according to Mrvan. He implores Secretary Wright to reconsider the order and work towards reducing costs for constituents. Mrvan notes NIPSCO’s estimated losses of $11.5 million to keep Schahfer operational, emphasizing a study’s finding that maintaining coal plants beyond retirement costs the U.S. $300 million, escalating by $30 million monthly.
The Citizens Action Coalition’s report from July 2025 documents a statewide monthly increase of $28 or 17.5% in electric bills, with NIPSCO’s residential customers seeing as much as $50 or 26.7% more in one year. Mrvan also mentioned Wright’s previous testimony, where Wright assured reversal if the directive ceased to benefit ratepayers.
Multiple Indiana public interest groups, including the Citizens Action Coalition and the Hoosier Environmental Council, alongside EarthJustice, the Sierra Club, and others, oppose the executive order. EarthJustice contends these orders bypass decisions made by power companies, regulators, and operators in customers’ interests. Initially, NIPSCO intended to close its coal facilities and begin a multiyear project to transition to renewable sources, such as wind and solar.
Plans for converting Schahfer station into a natural gas facility to support data centers, including a $15 billion development by Amazon Web Services, are underway. Such projects promise an efficient, sustainable energy strategy.
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