“Doug Burgum is now at the center of American energy and climate policy…President-elect Donald Trump … picked him to fill a new energy czar position…Burgum has pledged to make North Dakota carbon-neutral by decade’s end. His strategy for achieving that goal is using carbon capture and storage technology, which the Biden administration is also betting on to meet its climate targets…”[1] Burgum is set to lead the nation on the following energy path: “…his climate initiatives adopting a carbon capture — rather than fossil fuel elimination — approach…Lance Trover, a spokesperson for Burgum. “We can maintain a clean environment while supporting an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes both fossil fuels and renewable sources.”[2]
The Michigan law propelling the early closure of fossil fuel plants has provision for delaying closure in cases of endangerment of the electric grid.[3] Regional electric grid operator MISO has warned of electric grid reliability issues if Michigan and other states proceed with their planned closures, and it has called for delay of such closures.[4] For this reason alone Consumers Energy should request and the Michigan Public Service Commission should grant a delay in the closure and demolition of Campbell, currently scheduled for 2025.
Such delay is even further justified given the new Federal Government policy direction led by Doug Bergum to pursue carbon sequestration. This policy direction obviates the very rationale for the early closure and demolition of the Campbell and other fossil fuel plants, and is contrary to this new Federal policy direction.
There is already a court order for Consumers Energy related to the closure of the Campbell plant, resulting from ongoing litigation with Wolverine Power Cooperative.[5] This lawsuit was triggered when Consumers Energy sought 2025 closure of the Campbell.[6] It is directed at Unit 3 of the Campbell, but may widen to Units 1 and 2 if the Trump Administration places a delay on coal plant environmental rules[7] which would affect Units 1 and 2. Wolverine has seen success in its litigation with Consumers Energy over the way Consumers Energy pursued early closure.[8]
Ottawa County should expeditiously join Wolverine in litigation against Consumer’s Energy and seek a court order to delay the Campbell’s closure and demolition. Wyoming’s Senator Loomis has said it well: “Until we have sources of base load to replace coal, we still need coal in this country.”[9] Consumers Energy is looking out for its own narrow interests, and not the interests of the regional grid, the consumers who depend upon it, and Ottawa County where the Campbell plant is located. Its closure will have significant adverse tax impact in the area as well.[10]
The sad reality is that Consumers Energy customers have not been well served by Consumers Energy. It is terribly sad that Zeeland BPW website can report the following: “Zeeland BPW provides Residential electric rates that are nearly 58% below that of Consumers Energy and Industrial rates are approximately 20% below that of Consumers Energy.”[11] Michigan law affords local municipalities legal avenues to address such glaring fault, and the local county and town boards should avail of these avenues. Decades ago Zeeland stopped using Consumers Energy and municipalized electric within its own local cooperative, as an example of local powers. We are thankful now a number of Ottawa County township boards are actively working in this direction, and would request the others and county board join them.
[1] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2024/11/15/trump-has-a-new-energy-czar-00189877
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/16/doug-burgums-fraught-path-climate-change/
[3] https://savethecampbell.com/michigan-law-allows-delay-for-good-cause/
[4] https://www.misoenergy.org/meet-miso/media-center/2024/oms-miso-survey-results-indicate-tight-resource-capacity-in-the-upcoming-planning-year/
[5] https://www.courts.michigan.gov/49a9f4/siteassets/business-court-opinions/c20-2022-006876-cb(may15,2023).pdf
[6] https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/07/planned-closure-of-coal-fired-power-plant-sparks-lawsuits-between-utilities.html
[7] https://www.eenews.net/articles/what-would-trump-2-0-mean-for-coal/
[8] https://www.law360.com/articles/1809433/electric-co-must-face-claim-it-kept-coal-partner-in-the-dark
[9] https://www.eenews.net/articles/what-would-trump-2-0-mean-for-coal/
[10] https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/local/2021/07/04/what-does-early-closure-jh-campbell-plant-mean-west-michigan/7839793002/