Last night Jamestown Township became the first township in Ottawa County to pass the new round of “Save The Campbell” resolutions, just like they had been the first township board to pass the first round of resolutions. The two resolutions conclude as follows:
Resolution #1:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the ______ Township Board hereby requests that Consumers Energy foregoes seeking cost recovery to keep the J.H. Campbell generating plant operationally available, but instead offsets those costs by reducing its Net Zero expenditures and delaying its Net Zero implementation, as well as seriously exploring providing an AI data center with some of the electric provided by the Campbell, in order that residential electric rates can be reduced.”
Resolution #2:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the _____ Township Board hereby joins together with other township boards in Ottawa County in setting up an exploratory committee to investigate acquiring Consumers Energy’s interest in the JH Campbell generating plant, via local electric cooperative(s), financed with the assistance of a data center that would utilize some of the Campbell’s generated electricity and/or Federal Government assistance, and facilitated with the assistance of the Ottawa County Board. It would also investigate the possibility of attaining local control of electric for the parts of Ottawa County currently utilizing Consumers Energy as its electric public utility.
Given that Consumers Energy already has electric rates almost twice as much as Zeeland Electric Coop’s electric rates and above national averages PLUS is now asking for a rate increase that is the largest in decades PLUS on top of that is seeking cost recovery from customers to keep the Campbell available instead of reducing their Net Zero expenditures and exploring better options for the Campbell, the Jamestown Township Board is both defending the residents they serve and manifesting good due diligence in exploring viable alternatives.
Our request is that other area township boards demonstrate the same responsible governance. It is important for many township boards and then the county board join in this effort to protect the interests of residents. Success in this round, just as in the previous round, depends upon working together for a common sense cause.