Trump Says Agencies Will Seek Plan to Keep Youngstown Steam Utility Open

President Donald Trump said he was directing the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce to work with Ohio’s senators on a plan to keep a financially strained Youngstown steam utility operating, but gave no details on federal aid.

Trump made the announcement at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Oct. 12. He called for a quick solution to prevent SOBE Thermal Energy LLC from shutting down, but named no funding amount, program or timeline.

SOBE operates a district steam-heating system in downtown Youngstown. A court appointed John C. Collins as receiver on Sept. 26, 2025, after the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio sought intervention over the company’s finances and its inability to maintain service. The receiver was authorized to manage company assets and borrow funds reasonably needed to preserve them.

In a May 2026 court report, Collins warned that SOBE could cease operating by September or October 2026 without additional money for operating expenses, including boiler leases. The report said an Enbridge Gas gift fund, valued at $750,000, had a balance of $312,172 on May 6.

The utility’s equipment problems included the repossession of a leased 800-horsepower mobile boiler on Sept. 30, 2025, after missed lease payments. Boiler failures and service interruptions followed.

Trump described the system as serving 24 major buildings. A 2025 Public Utilities Commission of Ohio action cited an inability to serve 27 buildings and 90 residential units. The counts are unreconciled and may reflect different dates or definitions.