Federal order keeps three Indiana coal units available through Dec. 18; utilities seek to recover costs

Energy Secretary Chris Wright issued the Sept. 18 directive requiring two units at NIPSCO’s R.M. Schahfer Generating Station and one at CenterPoint Energy’s F.B. Culley Generating Station to remain available from Sept. 20 through Dec. 18, 2026. NIPSCO told the Capital Chronicle it is complying but said both Schahfer units are offline for inspections, maintenance and repairs; the utility asked federal regulators in August to approve about $38 million in cost recovery for the first quarter of 2026. CenterPoint said customers are not seeing direct bill impacts now but the company is preparing to recover costs tied to operating Culley Unit 2.

The Sept. 18 order is the fourth DOE intervention since Dec. 23, 2025, with renewals in March and June. State officials and utilities welcomed the extension, while consumer and environmental groups say prolonging the plants will raise bills; Rep. Carey Hamilton urged Indiana’s attorney general to challenge the mandate. Several advocacy groups have already petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the Indiana orders.

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