Braun, through a Friday, July 31 executive order, wants to stop coal-fired power plants from closing and potentially reopen plants utilities previously retired. Both moves follow President Donald Trump’s intervention of the closure of two coal-burning power plants in Indiana in previous months. “Prematurely closing a still operational coal plant and replacing it with a new plant online incurs a cost that is typically passed to the consumer, so leaving the existing coal plants online protects consumers,” Reid wrote. Economic and planning decisions to retire coal plants are made through processes, analysis and data, Olson said, and coal plants have been phased out due to how expensive they are to operate and maintain. One coal plant affected by Braun’s order and Rokita’s motion to intervene is the Indiana Michigan Power company’s Rockport Unit 1.