Gov. Braun’s Executive Order Moves to Throw a Lifeline to Coal Plants to Power Data Centers

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Indiana — Governor Braun has released an executive order to extend Indiana coal plants as Big Tech continues to propose new AI data center projects to the state. Braun’s executive order directs the state’s Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources to look for opportunities to reopen retired coal plants or prevent particular coal plants from retiring.

Last month, the Trump Administration renewed its orders to keep the Culley and Schahfer coal plants open, despite both of the Schahfer coal units being broken, and CenterPoint, owner of the Culley coal plant, asking the U.S. Department of Energy not to reissue the emergency order, stating that maintaining the coal plant “will require substantial investment to support an inefficient and increasingly unreliable asset.”

In response, Robyn Skuya-Boss, Hoosier Chapter Director, released the following statement:

“Communities across Indiana are speaking out and challenging plans for developing data centers in their neighborhood. Who is asking the governor to keep coal plants open in order to power AI data centers? It would seem prudent to understand what the long-term costs of rebuilding and repairing coal units will have on Hoosiers’ bills before deciding that planned coal retirements are not in the public’s interest. Governor Braun is, once again, sidling up to Big Tech and the coal industry without consideration for how coal extensions will impact Indiana families.”