A supervisor of a township board in Ottawa County recently wrote us as follows:
“Although a worthy effort, this action is “too little, too late.” The current course of action set by Consumers will not be altered, regardless of how much resistance and opposition is presented. The fear of power brownouts or shortages is far overstated. Port Sheldon Township has accepted the closure and is planning accordingly.”
Sadly, there are still a number of political leaders who think this way, and prefer to ignore the warnings of the preeminent expert on our regional grid, regional grid operator MISO;[1] to put blinders on regarding the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) agenda to rapidly close all fossil fuel plants as pushed by the UN;[2] and not to consider how what Zeeland did decades ago Ottawa County has legal powers to do now, which effectively puts the County in the driver’s seat with Consumers Energy.
Let me start with what Zeeland teaches Ottawa County: they booted Consumers Energy out and municipalized electric, placing it under Zeeland BPW.[3] Their residential customers pay 58% less than Consumers Energy customers.[4] Ottawa County can if it wants boot Consumers Energy out of Ottawa County and either replace it with a competitor like DTE or municipalize it like Zeeland, Grand Haven and Holland.[5] If other counties see Ottawa County do this, they might do the same, because there are many counties upset about the MPSC/Consumers Energy agenda, as reflected in the lawsuit of 79 counties and townships against MPSC.[6] In other words, if Consumers Energy continues to move forward with demolishing the Campbell plant, I believe they should have no future in this county, nor arguably any county in Michigan. Furthermore, Wolverine Power is showing success in its litigation with Consumers Energy over Consumers’ irresponsible planned Campbell closure;[7] Ottawa County can join in suing Consumers to stop it. So who is in the driver’s seat on this issue: Ottawa County or Consumers Energy?
MPSC has made clear it will not stop with coal plants, but has every intention to close gas plants as well, and to replace them with solar and wind.[8] This is happening at the same time electric-intensive data centers are being built in our region, placing huge additional electric burden on our grid.[9] This is a recipe for disaster in Michigan, and we just as well fight it now rather than waiting until we are significantly weakened.
Regarding his dismissal of MISO’s warnings, I fail to understand why this township supervisor thinks he is more expert on our regional grid than MISO. But if he is, I would like to see him present as many facts as MISO has arguing for why he is right and MISO is wrong. I think MISO is more expert on our regional grid than he is.
All voters in Ottawa County need to know where their political leaders stand on this issue, because we need political leaders who are willing to “Save The Campbell”. We plan to let the citizens of Ottawa County know where political leaders stand on this issue. We believe most voters will not be happy with their elected leaders who do not lift a finger to “Save The Campbell”.
Here are the steps we recommend to “Save The Campbell”: https://savethecampbell.com/steps-in-the-plan-to-save-the-campbell/ .
[1] https://www.misoenergy.org/meet-miso/media-center/2024/oms-miso-survey-results-indicate-tight-resource-capacity-in-the-upcoming-planning-year/
[2] https://savethecampbell.com/dont-be-fooled-ottawa-county-by-consumers-energy-its-natural-gas-plants-are-also-on-the-chopping-block-after-the-campbell-is-demolished-and-we-are-weak-by-joseph-parnell-mccarter/ . MPSC is the regulator of Consumers Energy.
[3] https://zeelandbpw.com/about/
[4] https://zeelandbpw.com/vote/
[5] https://savethecampbell.com/the-plan-2/ . Note: DTE is keeping its Monroe plant open until 2032.
[6] https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/local-government-coalition-sues-to-stop-public-service-commission-siting-order
[7] https://www.courts.michigan.gov/493277/siteassets/business-court-opinions/c20-2022-006876-cb(march1,2024).pdf
[8] https://savethecampbell.com/dont-be-fooled-ottawa-county-by-consumers-energy-its-natural-gas-plants-are-also-on-the-chopping-block-after-the-campbell-is-demolished-and-we-are-weak-by-joseph-parnell-mccarter/
[9] https://savethecampbell.com/energy-demand-from-data-centers-growing-faster-than-supply/