Shannon Fisk

Director, State Electric Sector Advocacy

Clean Energy Program

Shannon looks directly at the viewer with a friendly, open smile. He's wearing a brown polo shirt with thin, darker brown horizontal striped pattern of varied widths. He's standing in front of a white backdrop.

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Shannon Fisk

Director, State Electric Sector Advocacy Clean Energy Program

Media Inquiries

Kathryn McGrath
Public Affairs and Communications Strategist
kmcgrath@earthjustice.org

Shannon Fisk is the Director of State Electric Sector Advocacy. Prior to his current role, he served as managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Coal Program, and led Earthjustice in pushing the nation to become less dependent on its aging coal fleet, stopping uneconomic investments in dirty power plants, and making way for untapped renewable energy resources and innovation in energy efficiency.

Since joining Earthjustice in 2012, Fisk has ramped up the organization’s litigation and advocacy on coal issues in the Midwest, the heart of the U.S. coal industry. He joined Earthjustice after more than 10 years of litigating against coal-fired power plants and on other environmental issues at the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

Fisk has been a tireless advocate for environmental and public health interests before public utility commissions, state environmental agencies, and courts in proceedings that will determine the Midwest’s energy future. His litigation has secured several coal-plant retirement commitments across the region and beyond, including halting American Electric Power’s proposed $940 million retrofit of the Big Sandy coal plant in Kentucky.

Fisk graduated from the University of Michigan and received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School.

Expert Posts & Articles

June 6, 2025

The Trump Administration Forces Power Plants to Continue Burning Fossil Fuels

Department of Energy’s abuse of power charges consumers for an emergency that doesn’t exist.
A coal plant on the Ohio River near Cincinnati Ohio USA
October 16, 2015

Fighting Billion-Dollar Bailouts for Outdated Coal Plants in Ohio

Earthjustice is litigating against proposals by FirstEnergy and American Electric Power that could cost customers billions while guaranteeing profits for corporate shareholders.
A flock of birds fly past a smokestack of a coal-fired power plant.
August 5, 2014

Carbon Nation: Pushing for a Stronger Clean Power Plan

Earthjustice applauds EPA for moving forward with the proposed Clean Power Plan, and we urge EPA to set the stronger standards that we know states can achieve.
December 24, 2013

Coal: Bad in Stockings, Worse in Lungs

Answers about our reliance on coal

Media Inquiries

Kathryn McGrath
Public Affairs and Communications Strategist
kmcgrath@earthjustice.org

Bar Admissions

IL

Quoted in the News

June 18, 2025

Politico

Pushing back on Trump effort to keep coal plant running

“The order is unlawful, unreasonable and unnecessary. The administration is concocting an emergency to try to step in and disrupt a planned retirement that has been agreed to by all the major players in Michigan.”
March 28, 2025

Washington Post

The U.S. coal industry is dying. Trump threw it a lifeline.

“What they could achieve is at most a temporary lifeline for coal, not a revival of the industry. In an economically competitive market, coal is going to lose.”
March 19, 2025

MLive

Trump power plant pollution rollbacks threaten Michiganders, advocates warn

“Just coming in with a sledgehammer and destroying it all makes absolutely no sense and will be terrible for the public.”
February 21, 2025

Michigan Live

AI boom could inflate Michigan power bills

"You don't want somebody coming in saying, 'We need a ton of new generation for 30 years,' but then leaves after three. That's going to leave other customers on the hook."
July 27, 2023

WDET

DTE to close Monroe coal plant by 2032

“Every year earlier that a coal plant retires is saved lives, it’s better public health impact and it’s less climate pollution.”
January 25, 2022

CBS News

Congress is spending billions on carbon capture. Is it a climate savior or a boondoggle?

"If we're serious about climate change, we need to double down … build a grid that's 100% clean, rather than keeping fossil plants alive on this, to date, elusive promise that someday they will be carbon-free."

Latest Press Statements

December 18, 2025

Advocates Disappointed by Michigan PSC Decision to Fast-Track Opaque DTE Deal for Massive Oracle and OpenAI Data Center

While the PSC placed some important conditions on approval, the secretive process punts to future proceedings the multi-billion project’s potential impacts on ratepayers’ bills and Michigan’s clean energy goals.
November 6, 2025

Michigan Regulators Approve the State’s First Data Center Tariff Provisions an Important Step Toward Protecting Ratepayers from Skyrocketing Energy Costs

New Michigan Public Service Commission ruling marks a key step toward shielding ratepayers from the massive infrastructure costs of powering data centers, as advocates continue to push for stronger clean energy requirements
July 24, 2025

Public Advocacy Groups Take Trump Administration to Court for Illegal Coal Plant Extension

The Department of Energy’s unlawful and unreasonable extension of the J.H. Campbell coal plant is an abuse of emergency powers
June 18, 2025

Ten Groups Push Back Against Trump’s Illegal Campbell Plant Extension

Public interest groups challenge the Department of Energy’s sham order
May 23, 2025

Trump Uses Sham “Energy Emergency” to Keep Coal Plants Open

J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant was supposed to retire in eight days
DTE’s Monroe coal-fired power plant, Sept. 15, 2020.
July 12, 2023

DTE, Sierra Club, Earthjustice, Others, File Settlement for Energy Plan

Settlement with Earthjustice hastens retirement of coal power in Michigan, mandates clean energy