We are making good progress in the SaveTheCampbell.com effort. Four town boards have passed a resolution to “Save The Campbell”- three of them by unanimous votes- and we have good reason to believe more town boards will do the same. Most area political leaders representing us in Lansing and Washington have indicated their concern with the 2025 closure and demolition of the Campbell plant, including Representatives Huizenga, Meerman, Victory, and Slagh. 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”. Many hundreds of County citizens have signed petitions. Pres. Trump and his energy czar Doug Bergum are promoting a new Federal policy of keeping clean coal plants open and utilizing carbon capture, which means Federal money may soon be available for this route.
One of the main reasons for this support is because the preeminent expert on our regional grid, our regional grid operator MISO, has advised to delay such fossil fuel plant closures in order to avoid a dangerous grid situation. They realize too we have very viable legal options, including the County joining Wolverine Power in its successful litigation with Consumers Energy. Too there are 79 counties and townships suing MPSC for its abuse of power on the related issue of overthrowing local zoning rules in a vain effort to replace reliable fossil fuel plants as baseload with what MISO classifies as unreliable solar and wind. Michigan law recognizes the need to delay closures when grid problems would result. Furthermore, Michigan law gives municipalities legal powers over electric when they choose to exercise them, as exemplified by how Zeeland decades ago stopped using Consumers Energy and had its own electric coop manage it. Now Zeeland residential customers pay 58% less than Consumers Energy customers, and one does not hear either liberals or conservatives in Zeeland, Holland or Grand Haven begging to lose local control in favor of Consumers Energy regulated by the MPSC.
The sad reality is that Consumers Energy and the MPSC are treating Ottawa County badly. The MPSC is handsomely rewarding Consumer Energy executives and other investors with lots of money to do their bidding in rapidly closing fossil fuel plants. The MPSC wants gas as well as coal plants rapidly closed. The Detroit Free Press in 2023 ran an excellent article that showed how Consumers and DTE have a corrupting relationship with the MPSC; this situation needs to change and be replaced by local elected control.
Time is critical, because Campbell closure is scheduled for May 2025. It is important that our County present a united voice on this issue, and so I would ask this Board to pass the amended resolution to “save the Campbell”, first in its Utilities Committee, and then as a Board overall.
We need to pursue a common sense approach to our county’s Campbell plant and electric utility service.
Thanks for your consideration of this request, and thanks for your community service.