(The Center Square) – A pair of coal-fired power plants in Pennsylvania will continue operating for a few more years in an announcement that is being celebrated by statewide elected officials from both sides of the aisle.
On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration sought final approval from the Indiana County Court of Common Pleas of a consent decree with Keystone-Conemaugh Projects, LLC (Key-Con), which is the operator of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations in Indiana and Armstrong counties. This document would allow the continued operation of both power plants with required upgrades to meet federal wastewater discharge standards.
“Pennsylvanians are worried about rising energy costs right now and they need reliable, affordable sources of power to ensure our homes and businesses can keep the lights on without breaking the bank,” said Shapiro. “I’m an all-of-the-above energy Governor, and by upgrading the environmental controls at the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations to keep them operating for longer, we will protect energy jobs and ensure Pennsylvania generates enough energy to support the regional grid while reducing their impact on our environment.”
The Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations were previously scheduled to cease operations on Dec. 31, 2028. However, the consent decree would allow the plants to continue operating through 2032 due to upgraded wastewater treatment equipment at both plants.
According to the Shapiro administration, each of these stations produces approximately 1,700 megawatts of electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
President Donald Trump also took to social media on Tuesday evening, describing the announcement as a “BIG WIN” for Pennsylvania. He said that his administration, through the Commerce Department, worked with Shapiro, to keep both coal-fired power plants from retiring.
U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., said he was glad to work with Shapiro and the Trump administration on the matter.
“The extension of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations will guarantee more power and keep great-paying jobs in Pennsylvania. These plants generate the reliable baseload power that Pennsylvania families, manufacturers, schools, hospitals, and emergency services rely on every day,” McCormick said. “Thanks to President Trump’s energy dominance agenda, Pennsylvania will continue to lead the way on generation and power the transformation of our great commonwealth.”
Outside organizations have also weighed in on the announcement.
Aric Baker, IBEW Local 459 President, celebrated the decision to keep Keystone and Conemaugh producing power.
“When Governor Shapiro visited us at Keystone and spoke to the men and women who operate and maintain the facility, it was clear that he understood the importance of an all of the above energy strategy, particularly at a time where the demand on our grid and concerns about energy affordability continue to grow,” Baker said. “With this action, the Governor helps protect hundreds of family-sustaining union jobs, our local economies, and energy consumers all across Pennsylvania.”
The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, or PCA for short, said the plants deliver more than $5 million in annual property taxes and sustain over 1,000 direct jobs. They described the decision by the Shapiro administration to file a motion in the Indiana County Court of Common Pleas as a “significant and pragmatic step toward preserving reliable, affordable baseload power while advancing targeted environmental upgrades at the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations.”
“PCA strongly supports this Consent Decree because it gives Key-Con the critical option to keep these vital 3,400-megawatt facilities operating beyond their previously announced December 31, 2028, retirement date,” said Rachel Gleason, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance. “Court approval is essential, but it is only the first step. It is critical that state and federal policymakers advance supportive energy policies that keep plants like Key-Con operational through calendar year 2034. Such policies will protect grid reliability, safeguard blue-collar jobs, stabilize electricity prices, and secure long-term demand for Pennsylvania coal.”
However, at least two pro-conservation groups are voicing their concern with this decision.
Conservation Voters of PA, which describes itself as the people-powered statewide political voice for the environment, argues that “doubling down on coal is the wrong direction for Pennsylvania’s energy future.”
“While other states, like Texas, are lowering their energy prices by moving aggressively to bring new wind and solar energy online, Pennsylvania remains stuck in the past,” Molly Parzen, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, said. “And there is plenty of blame to go around: a grid operator, PJM, that prioritizes dirty energy; the Trump administration that ripped away investments for a clean energy transition; the perpetual gridlock in Harrisburg; and a Governor for whom an “all of the above energy” approach doesn’t seem to include any clean energy.”
“We urge Governor Shapiro to prioritize a 21st-century energy policy that accelerates our transition away from dirty fossil fuels rather than finding ways to artificially keep them on life support,” Parzen added.
PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s Executive Director David Masur said the announcement “casts a dark shadow over Earth Day 2026.”
“The Conemaugh and Keystone power plants’ global warming emissions in 2023 were equivalent to the climate pollution of 570,000 trips around the earth in an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle. Keeping these polluting facilities open is outrageous and appalling,” Masur said. “On the heels of pulling Pennsylvania out of the most successful state-level program for tackling climate pollution in the nation, today’s announcement makes this a one-two punch against our environment. Governor Shapiro’s action perpetuates Pennsylvania’s status as a clean energy laggard, instead of positioning it to become a clean energy leader.”
