President Trump on Tuesday praised an agreement that will allow two coal-fired power plants to remain open for several more years, crediting his administration with helping deliver a \u201cBIG WIN\u201d for the commonwealth.<\/p>\n
The Conemaugh Station in Indiana County and Keystone Station in Armstrong County, both operated by Keystone-Conemaugh Projects LLC (Key-Con), were slated to close in December 2028 after the company determined energy demands were not high enough for it to invest the millions of dollars required to meet federal wastewater pollution standards<\/a>, local outlet ABC27 News<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n \u201cRadical Left Lunatics wanted to get rid of these wonderful Plants in favor of WIND FARMS, which kill the birds, and are both costly and ineffective,\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social<\/a>. \u201cWe will never allow that to happen! Thankfully, we struck a deal to guarantee these Plants will not be \u2018retired.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI WILL ALWAYS FIGHT FOR THE FANTASTIC PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA!\u201d he added.<\/p>\n The agreement allows the plants, which each produce approximately 1,700 megawatts of electricity, to continue operating through 2032 as long as they make upgrades to wastewater treatment equipment at both facilities, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s (D) office.<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s office is seeking approval on the consent decree<\/a> from the Indiana County Court of Common Pleas to finalize the terms of the settlement.<\/p>\n \u201cAllowing the plants to continue operating under enforceable environmental requirements will help avoid supply shortfalls that can drive up electricity prices for consumers across the region,\u201d Shapiro\u2019s office noted in a press release. \u201cThe required upgrades will ensure compliance with federal wastewater standards, significantly reducing the potential for pollutants to enter Pennsylvania waterways.\u201d<\/p>\n The agreement also requires Key-Con to pay a $150 daily penalty while operating the plants until upgrades are complete, with additional penalties up to $1,500 per day if it does not follow the outlined timeline for upgrades.<\/p>\n