The Department of Energy used a little-known federal rule to order a coal-fired electricity generating station in Michigan to remain open. The Friday order was issued just before the plant was scheduled to go offline in preparation for it to be permanently closed.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he issued the order due to the critical nature of the electricity supply in Michigan and the region. Wright said he needed to "minimize the risk of blackouts and address critical grid security issues." He added that the Midwest faced the potential of blackouts in the coming summer season when demand for electricity goes up.
The plant is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline, about 30 miles west of Grand Rapids in the small town of West Olive. Consumers Energy operates the generating plant, which uses imported coal to fuel its operations. The plant has been scheduled for shutdown as part of a long-range plan by the state administration of Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer to convert to green and renewable energy sources.
Whitmer’s 2023 "Clean Energy & Climate Action Package" aims to make Michigan "a national leader with 100% clean energy standard."
Consumers closed seven coal-fired generating plants in 2016 and said it was using that experience to help guide future closings, including the J.H. Campbell Complex in West Olive.
Governor Whitmer's office released polling information that said 65 percent of voters wanted the state energy grid to be based on 100% clean energy.
The federal Energy Department order to keep the coal-fired plant open said the Trump administration is "hard at work securing the American people access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy that powers their lives regardless of whether the wind is blowing, or the sun is shining."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.