“Energy regulators and executives are warning that the build-out of artificial intelligence data centers has significantly increased the risk of electricity disruptions and blackouts…“The reliability of the power grid remains extremely high, but paradoxically, the risks to reliability continue to mount,” said Jim Robb, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., the continent’s grid monitor. “In fact, we’re seeing an increasing number of small-scale events and near misses that continue to reinforce what we can’t call anything but a five-alarm fire when it comes to reliability.”
“Robb cited dwindling resource adequacy, extreme weather, interdependency with the overstretched natural gas system, huge new power demand and challenges to site and permit needed infrastructure, among other issues, as driving concern. His remarks were echoed by several FERC commissioners, including David Rosner, who said, “I see our grid as needing every single megawatt, every single electron and every single molecule we can get to meet demand on those peak days and peak hours.”
Peak demand – both in the summer and winter months – continues to push grids across the country to their very limits. Just a few weeks ago, former FERC Chairman Mark Christie warned, “The reliability threat is not on the future horizon. It is actually here now.”
–https://www.countoncoal.org/2025/10/reliability-is-a-five-alarm-fire/
That Consumers Energy executives wanted to close and demolish our Campbell plant in 2025 until essentially forced not to shows just how out of touch with reality and care for customers they are. They simply followed the Whitmer-appointed MPSC in order to increase their profits. There is still good reason to believe they do not have the best interest of Ottawa County citizens in mind.