Joseph Parnell McCarter, Georgetown Township, volunteer leader of SaveTheCampbell effort.
I thank this Board for passing the Campbell Resolution. Because you and other township boards did, it encouraged the Ottawa County Board to do the same last week. But just a few hours after the County passed its resolution, Consumers Energy VP Maddipati said that it will close the Campbell anyway this coming May, and MPSC officials said the same.
This is all very dangerous under current circumstances when there is a rising risk of an energy crisis due to the following factors:
- Even before recent developments, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), echoed by grid operator MISO, that our regional grid is at high risk of demand exceeding generating supply in the coming years due to rapid closure of coal plants without sufficient reliable baseload replacement.
- Canadian officials are threatening to cut off sales of electric and gas in response to US tariffs.
- Solar and wind are not reliable baseload replacements in Michigan for coal per grid operator MISO, combined with the fact that the Trump Administration has placed a freeze on their Federal subsidy, which they depend on.
- Restarting the shutdown Palisades nuclear reactor was always hugely risky given there has never been such in US history, and the various problems with that reactor, but it is even more questionable given the Trump Administration has placed a freeze on its Federal subsidy, which it depends on to the tune of billions of dollars.
Other factors to consider are these:
- Consumers Energy customers already pay 58% more than Zeeland residents who have municipalized electric.
- Consumers is a monopoly and knows right now we have nowhere else to go, so they feel no pressure to listen to us.
- The MPSC/Consumers plan is in direct violation of the Trump Administration National Energy Emergency executive order which says not to rapidly close fossil fuel plants. That plan would allow us to charge a data center lots for electric, so that ordinary consumer electric rates could be decreased.
Here are some action items we recommend:
1. Seek the assistance of the Trump Administration to intervene on behalf of the Campbell, consistent with Pres. Trump’s executive order.
2. Ask the County Board to pass a public safety ordinance prohibiting the closure of the Campbell in 2025. The Michigan constitution gives our county Commissioners power to protect residents from a public utility that plans a project that will hurt the long-term welfare of its customers in service and pricing.
3. Form an electric cooperative exploratory committee composed of County township board representatives to help save the Campbell as well as provide us with a sounder energy plan and good electric pricing
4. Ask the County Board to allow county citizens to decide if we should have a county charter allowing more local control of electric service.
MOST OF ALL we need to humbly pray that the Lord will be merciful and help in our efforts.
Given time constraints, if at all possible, I would ask each of you to let me know tonight after the meeting which of these suggestions you agree with, or if that does not work for you, in one of the ways on the sheet provided. Thanks for considering these requests to save the Campbell!