This communication was submitted today on behalf of the SaveTheCampbell.com effort:
Dear Mr. Doug Burgum and Department of the Interior:
On behalf of West Michigan’s SaveTheCampbell.com effort, we look forward to the new leadership of Mr. Burgum at the Department of the Interior, and urgently request assistance to save our JH Campbell Generating Plant which provides reliable electric to 1 million regional residents. It is scheduled for closure and demolition starting May 2025. We are especially encouraged by Mr. Burgum’s position that the U.S. needs to make more “baseload” electricity from coal and other sources as it seeks to power data centers for the nation’s tech industry (https://apnews.com/article/burgum-trump-interior-secretary-hearing-d6f7303bb2ee395b073dec0d798e608b).
Our electric grid operator MISO and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation are issuing urgent warnings about our region’s electric grid and advising delay in closure of coal plants like the Campbell to avoid a dangerous situation for our regional grid. Michigan law recognizes the need for closure delay if it threatens the grid. Nevertheless, Consumers Energy and the Michigan Public Service Commission are proceeding full steam ahead with their dangerous closure plans.
Already five townships in the county have passed resolutions on “saving the Campbell”, and we are encouraged that more township boards and the county board will hopefully do the same. Many hundreds of county citizens have signed petitions seeking to “Save The Campbell”. Our elected representatives in Lansing and Washington have indicated their concern with its precipitous closure and need for delay. Two Ottawa County Board members have expressed their intentions to seek to put this issue on the County Board agenda and to seek to “Save The Campbell”.
Thanks for considering this important request for help!
Sincerely,
Joseph Parnell McCarter
Volunteer Leader of SaveTheCampbell.com