The recent Inside Climate News article claims that delaying coal and gas plant retirements would cost ratepayers $3-6 billion annually, which is not only misleading but also dangerously out of touch with the realities of America's electricity system. A new report by Grid Strategies, commissioned by environmental groups, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, argues that the Trump administration’s orders keeping aging plants like Michigan's Campbell and Pennsylvania's Eddystone online are inflating costs.

But evidence from the PJM, the nation's largest grid operator, tells a starkly different story. It's the rush to retire these reliable hydrocarbon assets that's driving up prices, not their extensions.

Look no further than PJM's (which keeps the lights on for 67 million people) recent capacity auctions, which sent shockwaves through 13 states and the District of Columbia. In July 2024, capacity prices exploded 833% to $269.92 per megawatt-day, ballooning total costs from $2.2 billion to $14.7 billion. Fast forward to July 2025, prices climbed another 22% to $329.17/MW-day, pushing annual costs to $16.1 billion.

What’s fueling this? A toxic mix of decreasing supply from coal and natural gas thermal........

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