WEST OLIVE, Mich. — It was a clear respite from the persistent rain on Tuesday as the J.H. Campbell power plant in Ottawa County churned along. While clouds weren't billowing from its coal-fired stacks at midday, the plant was still open and ready to operate.

But it wasn't supposed to be this way.

The over-60-year-old, plant, owned by Consumers Energy, was set to be retired at the end of May following a years-long plan.

But just days before that scheduled retirement on May 31, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order on May 23 to keep the plant open for at least another 90 days.

"We will continue to comply with the order and request the timely recovery of costs associated with plant operations," a Consumers Energy spokesperson told 13 ON YOUR SIDE in an upda

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