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The environmental coalition said there is no energy emergency
that would justify keeping Consumers Energy’s J.H. Campbell
plant alive in Ottawa County, near Lake Michigan.
The U.S. Energy Department “has no authority to compel Consumers
to rehabilitate — and effectively reconstruct — the increasingly
unreliable plant, nor to override the state’s and utility’s
decision to replace the plant with less expensive and cleaner
sources,” the 54-page petition says.
Consumers Energy had planned to close the power station by May
31 as part of a transition to cleaner energy. But the Energy
Department intervened just days earlier, saying the plant must
remain open, at least until late August, because of possible
electricity shortfalls in the central U.S.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, known as MISO,
manages the flow of electricity in 15 U.S. states and Manitoba
in Canada. MISO has said there should be enough electricity this
summer, though it cited the potential for “elevated risk” during
extreme weather.
“This type of order is fairly unprecedented,” lawyer Shannon
Fisk of Earthjustice said. “It's a fabricated emergency.”
The Energy Department defended its position. “This
administration is committed to ensuring Americans have access to
reliable, affordable and secure energy that isn’t dependent on
whether the sun shines or the wind blows,” spokesperson Ben
Dietderich said.
Consumers Energy said it is complying with the order, noting
that the first coal delivery arrived before the planned May 31
decommissioning.
It is unclear whether the challenges by Attorney General Dana
Nessel and environmental groups would be settled by the end of
August when the order expires. Fisk said the order could be
extended. A lawsuit also could be pursued.
In Pennsylvania, an oil and gas plant was also ordered to keep
its turbines running as a hedge against electricity shortages in
the 13-state mid-Atlantic grid. The Eddystone Generating Station
is just south of Philadelphia on the Delaware River.
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