The sad reality in today’s electric utility sector is that outside corporate interests are driving much of what happens even though it is far from local interest. Here are some questions Ottawa County citizens should be asking:
- Why is increasing data center electricity demand being allowed to effect significant residential electric price rise, instead of our leveraging excess county electric generation from our Campbell plant to subsidize and lower residential rates in Ottawa County?
- Why is a foreign corporation like Key Capture getting away with imposing its lithium ion battery plant on Blendon Township by means of PA 233 despite the fact that most Blendon Township citizens are opposed to the plant and if we controlled our electric grid we could likely thwart it even with PA 233?
- Given Ottawa County is a net exporter of electricity, why is so much of our electricity costing based upon outside purchases?
- Why are we forced to accept Consumers Energy’s aggressive Net Zero agenda and expenditures although it makes no sense for us locally and even goes beyond what Michigan law requires?
Given the threat of significant electric price increases stemming from data centers, overthrow of local zoning by Michigan PA 233, and a misguided Net Zero agenda that is forcing investments in solar/wind/battery for baseload electric which simply do not make sense for West Michigan compared with the gas/coal combination, the risks of allowing outside corporate interests to control our local electric utility service has never been greater.
Ottawa County cannot afford at this time to let the outside corporate interest tail to wag the local interest dog. We need local control of our electric utility service, and we have legal means to attain it by God’s grace.