GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Michigan families are being warned of higher energy bills as a federal order keeps aging coal plants open, including the J.H. Campbell plant in Ottawa County.

A federal order is keeping plants like the J.H. Campbell facility running months past their planned shutdowns.

The Department of Energy issued the order to keep it operating, a move, climate advocate Sergio Cira-Reyes with the Urban Core Collective said, is already driving up costs.

"It's the worst possible time for us to keep coal plants open that are going to be more costly for our families," said Cira-Reyes. “... Even Consumers Energy, you know, they had agreed to close it and they would have planned for closing it. And so to this day, the plant remains open,” said Cira-Reyes.

He said Consumers Energy i

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