The Trump Administration has just issued an executive order to assist in energy infrastructure efforts, which is precisely what a locally controlled electric cooperative would need to purchase the Campbell. Consumers Energy, sold on the Net Zero agenda, is determined to demolish the Campbell as soon as it can, as well as to convert thousands of acres of Michigan farmland into solar panel fields generating unreliable electric. We have a path to form an electric cooperative and purchase the Campbell with Trump Administration assistance, so that it can generate electricity both for residents at subsidized rates, and a co-located data center at premium rates. The wastewater at the Campbell could likely be treated and used at the co-located data center for its closed loop cooling system; this would be a more environmentally responsible avenue than Consumers Energy’s current plan of injecting it deep underground. The fly ash waste can be used for rare earth mineral extraction and other industrial purposes. We can also do more to further reduce pollutant emissions at the Campbell so that it becomes essentially negligible. And we can have the data center avoid the environmental issues that plague so many of them. Thus, we can better resolve the environmental challenges at the Campbell by continuing to operate the Campbell than by demolishing it. With local control of our grid, we can also have more leverage to thwart misguided solar/wind/battery developments in our area. We can be a model of environmental responsibility combined with energy realism.
Now is the opportune time to pursue a local electric energy agenda which provides us with reliable electric energy at lower pricing and that is very environmentally responsible. We cannot count on Lansing to solve this for us, so by God’s grace we need to get control of our electric grid locally.