• Failed policies are costing Michiganders: Keeping the dirty, expensive and unreliable J.H. Campbell coal plant open is costing ratepayers over $600,000 per day and they will be on the hook for $180 million in additional costs.

• Utilities aren’t helping: Consumers Energy announced it was seeking a rate hike of $456 million, raising residential electricity rates by 9.8%.

• New polling in western Michigan supports this: 71% say their energy bills have gone up over the last year, while 66% say Donald Trump has broken his promise to cut energy prices in half in his first 12 months.

KALAMAZOO, MI, July 16, 2026 – EDF Action alongside elected officials, farmers, members of the faith community and residents of Kalamazoo today called on President Trump and Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-04) to address the failed policies that have caused electric bills in the region to skyrocket as the hot summer months are upon us.

In keeping the expensive, dirty, and unreliable J.H. Campell coal plant in W. Olive open over cheaper and cleaner renewables, the pleas of residents are going unanswered. The Big Ugly Bill championed by Trump and Huizenga one year ago on July 4 is also making the finances of Michiganders uglier by the month.

New polling (poll memo, toplines) conducted for EDF Action in western Michigan July 8-9 shows residents of western Michigan are frustrated with energy costs and want the Campbell coal plant closed:

• Utility bills already rising: 71% say their bills have gone up over the last year.
• Expected to keep rising: 66% expect bills to go up again next year, vs. just 8% who expect a decrease.
• Campbell plant policy is unpopular: Only 32% support the policy keeping the J.H. Campbell coal plant online past its planned closure date; 51% think it should have closed already, with 17% not sure. That’s a 19-point margin against the policy.
• Michiganders believe Trump broke his promise on energy: 66% say Trump has not delivered on his pledge to cut energy/electricity prices in half in his first 12 months, vs. just 19% who think he has. 15% aren’t sure.

“The federal government is using a so-called energy emergency to keep the nation reliant on hazardous, inefficient fossil fuels, and Michigan families are paying the price,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “By forcing the outdated J.H. Campbell coal plant to remain open, the Trump administration has racked up more than $180 million in unnecessary costs that could be passed directly to ratepayers already struggling with an energy affordability crisis. Every day this aging plant operates is another day that adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to that bill. My office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to fight these arbitrary orders, protect our precious natural resources and deliver an affordable energy future.”

“By scaling back investments in cheap, homegrown clean energy, the Trump administration isn’t just hurting the environment, they’re actively taking away the exact tools rural Michigan needs to lower our power bills and keep our family farms afloat,” said Devon Wilson, founder and CEO of Sunlight Gardens farm in Battle Creek. “Our energy costs are way too high, and too many of our elected officials are unresponsive to our plight. If we’re unable to feed Michiganders, who will?”

“Advocating for a safe and healthy planet for future generations is not only an economic necessity for many, but also a moral imperative for all,” said Sr. Erin McDonald of the Congregation of St. Joseph. “The Sisters here in Kalamazoo and across our congregation believe that care of creation is manifested when clean, affordable power is available to everyone, especially those in great need. Installing large solar array fields across our Kalamazoo property has allowed us to demonstrate our commitment to caring for all of God’s creation while also saving considerably on electric bills.”

“Bill Huizinga had a choice – do what President Trump wanted, or do what was best for his constituents,” said David Kieve, president of EDF Action. “He’s made his choice, and I trust voters will take note. President Trump was in Michigan in 2024 when he promised he’d cut every American’s energy bill in half within 12 months of taking office. Instead, the steps he’s taken have driven us completely in the wrong direction. Kitchen-table math is not rocket science and Michiganders aren’t being fooled.”