- A few years ago a Zealand BPW study showed Consumers Energy residential rate electric pricing was already 58% higher than Zealand BPW electric pricing.[1] Zealand BPW is the electric cooperative of the City of Zealand.
- Consumers Energy electric pricing is high relative to nationwide averages.[2]
- There have been a significant series of price hikes by Consumers Energy since the Zealand BPW study,[3] and recently Consumers Energy proposed the largest price hike in decades.[4]
- Consumers Energy says it will seek and likely get for its Campbell closure delay cost recovery from MPSC,[5] its State of Michigan public utility regulator which has too cozy a relationship with it.[6] It seeks such cost recovery instead of offsetting its costs with scaling back on its Net Zero agenda and not considering use of the Campbell in part to supply an AI data center with reliable electric so that residential rates can be subsidized.[7]
- Consumers Energy is far in advance in its Net Zero spending of what even Michigan law requires, and has shown no signs of scaling back, despite many reasons to do so.
- Studies indicate Net Zero is more costly than traditional fossil fuel electric generation because the solar and wind that Net Zero generally relies on is variable, and so requires redundant fossil fuel back up, or loadshedding will be necessary.[8]
- Although individual customers under the Consumers Energy monopoly cannot shop around, it is possible per the Michigan Constitution for local governments to step in and introduce a competitive alternative, such as a local electric cooperative that either provides the electric itself or bids it out to other private companies that are expert in the field. Now may be an especially opportune time to explore this possibility given demand by AI data centers for reliable electric and the Trump Administration’s desire for such provision. The Trump Administration and a data center may be willing to help with project financing for a local cooperative buy-out of the Campbell plant and local electric utility assets.
We need local governments in Ottawa County to explore introducing competition into this picture which really only they can do.[9]
[1] https://zeelandbpw.com/may-3-2022-election/
[2] https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/consumers-energy-requests-another-rate-hike-one-week-after-approval-of-154-million-increase
[3] https://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/consumers-energy-requests-another-rate-hike-one-week-after-approval-of-154-million-increase
[4] https://www.mlive.com/environment/2025/06/consumers-energy-asks-to-raise-electric-rates-436m-the-most-in-decades.html?outputType=amp
[5] https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/05/28/trump-consumers-energy-coal-campbell-power-plant-mpsc/83896946007/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6837314aa9919b00017420cc
[6] https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2023/11/21/dte-consumers-mpsc-regulation/71241464007/
[7] https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/05/28/trump-consumers-energy-coal-campbell-power-plant-mpsc/83896946007/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6837314aa9919b00017420cc
[8] https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/solar-and-wind-power-make-electricity-more-expensive-thats-a-fact and https://nypost.com/2025/05/07/opinion/cheap-solar-and-wind-is-a-lie-green-countries-pay-more/
[9] https://savethecampbell.com/resolution-request-of-township-and-county-boards-to-prevent-a-consumers-energy-rate-hike-by-offsetting-campbell-costs-with-net-zero-expenditure-reductions/