Ohio Coal Plants Receive Federal Funding to Stay Open

Two Ohio coal plants, including one previously subsidized by HB6, will get $175 million in upgrades from the Trump administration.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The U.S. Department of Energy has selected two Ohio coal power plants, the Kyger Creek Station and the Cardinal Plant, to receive a share of $175 million in federal funding to help keep them operational. This includes the Kyger Creek plant, which had previously received ratepayer subsidies through the controversial House Bill 6 energy law until it was repealed last year. The funding will be used to make efficiency and reliability upgrades to the plants.

Why it matters

The Trump administration is directing this federal funding to prop up struggling coal plants, arguing it is necessary to prevent power outages. However, critics contend that coal plants are increasingly uneconomical compared to natural gas and renewable energy, and that keeping them open will only prolong the use of a major source of carbon emissions contributing to climate change.

The details

The Kyger Creek Station in Cheshire, Ohio and the Cardinal Plant in Brilliant, Ohio are two of six rural coal plants that will receive a portion of the $175 million in federal funding. The money will be used to make 'comprehensive modernizations' and 'critical system upgrades' to the plants to improve their efficiency and reliability. This comes after the Kyger Creek plant received over $679 million in ratepayer subsidies through the now-repealed HB6 law between 2016-2025.

  • The federal funding was announced in February 2026.
  • The Kyger Creek plant received over $679 million in subsidies through HB6 between 2016-2025.
  • The HB6 subsidies for the Kyger Creek plant were repealed in 2025.

The players

Kyger Creek Station

A coal power plant located in Cheshire, Ohio that previously received ratepayer subsidies through the HB6 energy law.

Cardinal Plant

A coal power plant located in Brilliant, Ohio that did not receive HB6 subsidies.

President Donald Trump

The U.S. President who directed the Department of Energy to provide $175 million in federal funding to keep certain rural coal plants, including in Ohio, operational.

U.S. Department of Energy

The federal agency that is distributing the $175 million in funding to upgrade and maintain the operations of select coal plants.

Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (OVEC)

The electric utility consortium that owns the Kyger Creek Station.

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What they’re saying

“The goal is to enhance the plant's operational efficiency, reliability, and overall power generation capacity. Ultimately, these efforts will contribute to the affordability and security of the national power grid by improving unit reliability, reducing unplanned downtime, and increasing power generation.”

— Scott Blake, American Electric Power (cleveland.com)

“We must keep these plants online and keep those plants open.”

— President Donald Trump (Fox News)

What’s next

The Department of Energy will determine the specific funding amounts for the Kyger Creek Station and Cardinal Plant in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

This federal funding represents the Trump administration's efforts to prop up the struggling coal industry, despite the economic and environmental challenges facing coal power. The move highlights the ongoing political debate over the future of coal in the U.S. energy mix.