By Joseph Parnell McCarter
Township Supervisor Elenbaas at the 9/8/2025 Board meeting had indicated there could be a vote at the next township board meeting concerning the 2nd round of “Save The Campbell” Resolutions. We read at https://allendalemi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/9-8-2025-Approved-Minutes.pdf :
“Ms. Schuitema led a discussion on green energy initiatives and the closing of the Campbell Plant. She indicated that she would like to support the Campbell Plant efforts by asking the board to adopt a resolution. Ms. Schuitema requested that an action item be added to the next meeting agenda.”
Supervisor Elenbaas had verbally acceded to Ms. Schuitema’s request for a resolution vote of the Board on the resolution(s) at the next board meeting. He asked her to provide the resolutions for a vote at the upcoming Board meeting.
But a resolution vote did not materialize at the 9/22/25 board meeting. As we read at https://allendalemi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/9-22-2025-Proposed-Minutes.pdf :
“The Board also reviewed the proposed Campbell Plant Resolution. After deliberation, the Board elected not to take any action.”
There was another discussion of the Board, but no vote which would have made clear where each Board member stood on the question. Instead, it was just a discussion time again, and early in the discussion Supervisor Elenbaas asked the township board’s legal counsel for his advice on the resolutions. Legal counsel advised against voting for the resolutions, on the erroneous premise they were just expressions of opinion on a political topic that the township board could do nothing about. He failed to acknowledge that the resolutions are really the first necessary step towards getting local control of electric instead of following Consumers Energy’s Net Zero Agenda with all of its dangerous consequences, including the lithium ion battery plant in nearby Blendon with an evacuation zone including parts of Allendale Township. It is the necessary initial information gathering step.
Sadly, none of the township board members directly contested the legal counsel’s false premise, although three board members (Mr. Vander Wall, Ms. Schuitema, and Mr. Zeinstra) did suggest their support for a resolution contesting the Net Zero Agenda. The Board majority clearly stated that electric policy is a matter that should be left up to Lansing, and Ottawa County citizens should just petition their legislators there for what they would like to see happen. This position fails to acknowledge that locally controlled electric is a legal option, and it effectively leaves Ottawa County’s electric energy policy fully in the hands of East Michigan (which is often liberal Democrat) where the majority of Michigan voters are. The Allendale Township Board majority wants to wash its hands of electric energy policy, and it does not even want to acknowledge local control is a viable option.
Overall, it was a sad evening in Allendale Township Board history, repeating what had happened a year ago when the Allendale Township Board then failed to join the “Save The Campbell” effort, unlike many other township boards and the Ottawa County Board, to the effect that Campbell closure was delayed.
Now it is up to Allendale Township citizens to decide. Will there be indifference about this, or will local citizens pursue actions to effect change in their Township Board’s direction on this matter? Given that Allendale Township is a conservative Republican stronghold, it is hard for me to understand why the Township Board representing it wants to leave this all up to Lansing and Consumers Energy, which are currently dominated by the Net Zero Agenda. We have the means to do better, if we have the political will to do better.