Indiana's Merom Coal Plant Secures Roughly $700 Million in Power Agreements
Hallador Energy announced October 8 that it has signed six-year agreements to supply electricity and reserve generating capacity from its Merom coal-fired power plant in Indiana. The deals could generate nearly $700 million over the period from June 2029 through May 2035.
The agreements are with a financially strong utility operating in the Midwest’s MISO electricity market. They took effect upon signing and require no regulatory approval.
The utility will pay approximately $271 million to reserve an average of 225 megawatts of Merom’s generating capacity, helping ensure dependable power is available when needed. A separate electricity sales agreement could generate approximately $422 million, based on current market price estimates.
Hallador said the capacity agreement carries the highest price it has secured to date—more than 20% above its March agreement. It is the company’s third capacity deal announced this year.
About 95% of Merom’s generating capacity recognized by the grid operator is now under contract through 2035. Roughly two-thirds is committed for 2036 through 2040.
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Keeping Coal is Paying Off
Rising U.S. electricity prices – up 40% on average since 2020 – are now a top-tier concern for American consumers, but not in Utah.
Instead of bills going up, Utahns could see a $375 million decrease this year. And a key reason is the state’s reliance on coal.
Coal is used to generate nearly half of Utah’s power, and the affordability and reliability of the coal fleet is proving a significant advantage. From 2013-2023 Utah, in fact, saw the largest electricity price decrease in the country.
Utah’s success in moderating electricity prices is quite a contrast to some of its neighbors. California, for example, saw electricity rates jump from 21 cents per kilowatt hour in 2013 to 30 cents in 2023. They’ve only continued to climb since. While California has spent a fortune on power lines and smart meters, the cost of generating power in the state also increased 40% between 2012 and 2024.
While industry has fled California’s soaring rates, power demand has steadily grown in Utah, including a notable uptick since 2020. Despite the growth and rising demand, Utah’s electricity prices have remained low. Affordable, existing coal generation has anchored the state’s power system.
In its latest Integrated Resources Plan, Utah’s Rocky Mountain Power and its parent company, PacifiCorp, extended the lives of several coal plants, citing soaring electricity demand and an improved regulatory environment.
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Energy Secretary Secures Mid-Atlantic Grid Ahead of Anticipated Stressed System Conditions
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright issued an emergency order to mitigate blackout risks in the mid-Atlantic ahead of a period of elevated demand, a high rate of planned generator outages during the autumn maintenance season, and numerous planned transmission outages. The order directs PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) to dispatch specified units and to order their operation as needed to maintain reliability and authorizes PJM to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3.
Chris Wright
PJM is authorized to call upon its Transmission Owners and Electric Distribution Companies to implement the order as needed. The order was issued pursuant to an application from PJM submitted on October 11, 2026.
“This order will help ensure millions of American families and businesses across the mid-Atlantic have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity by making additional power generation, including backup power, available to use as needed,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “While past leaders’ energy subtraction policies have made the grid more vulnerable to the risk of blackouts when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, this administration remains committed to using every available tool to prevent blackouts.”
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DOE Awards $21 Million to Southern Arizona Coal Plant
Less than two years ago, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative received millions of dollars from the federal government to fund renewable energy and phase out the use of coal.
The co-op is now receiving additional federal funding, and the coal turbine will remain in operation.
The Department of Energy awarded $21 million in funding to the Apache Generating Station to modernize the plant’s remaining coal turbine.
The plant is located in Cochise County, south of Wilcox and east of Benson.
Plant was set for retirement
The Apache Generating Station is the last remaining coal plant in southern Arizona and one of three left in the state.
It was set to be retired by the end of next year, but after the investment by the Trump administration, the turbine will continue operating.
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University of Alaska Researchers Joint $6 Million Effort to Extract Critical Minerals From Coal Waste
Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are working to turn coal waste into a source of critical minerals, using microorganisms and artificial intelligence as part of a $6 million National Science Foundation project.
Decades of coal use and mining in Alaska have left behind piles of dust and ash. UAF researchers are viewing that waste as an untapped resource, and the initiative is now receiving federal funding as it advances.
Microbial extraction
Instead of harsh chemicals or heavy machinery, microscopic organisms bind to valuable minerals in the waste material. Artificial intelligence models will predict which waste materials offer the highest yield and optimize harvesting conditions.
Srijan Aggarwal, UAF professor of environmental engineering, said the project builds on years of prior work.
“We have been actually working with this team for close to seven to eight years to develop sustainable microbial technologies to extract rare earth elements from waste resources, and this project is actually a natural next step,” Aggarwal said.
Aggarwal said ash left behind from coal mining or power plant use contains notable amounts of rare earth elements.
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