Joseph Parnell McCarter, Georgetown Township, Volunteer leader of SaveTheCampbell.com effort. The State of Michigan which regulates Consumers Energy has us on an unrealistic electric energy path. They plan to close and demolish in 2025 our county’s Campbell plant which provides reliable, affordable electric to 1 million regional residents, as part of a broader effort to rapidly close all fossil fuel plants.
We are making good progress in the SaveTheCampbell.com effort. 5 town boards in the county have passed a resolution to “Save The Campbell”-4 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. 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 experts on our regional grid, our regional grid operator MISO, along with 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.
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 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 Grand Haven, Zeeland, and Holland all successfully have municipalized electric.
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 Council to pass a resolution to “save the Campbell”.
Thanks for your consideration of this request.