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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The federal government used an emergency order to keep the 60-year-old J.H. Campbell coal-fired plant running in Michigan, citing the risk of high demand this summer, though a local group said the order was unnecessary.
Soaring temperatures along the U.S. Gulf Coast led to "brown outs" for more than 100,000 customers and businesses last week after the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) ordered restrictions to prevent widespread problems on the grid.
On Friday, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright used expectations of high electricity demand for the upcoming summer as reason to declare an emergency that keeps the 1.5-gigawatt J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant running in Michigan, situated in MISO's territory.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Plant Database can click here for the related plant profiles.
"This administration will not sit back and allow dangerous energy subtraction policies threaten the resiliency of our grid and raise electricity prices on American families," he said.
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has pushed a decidedly pro-fossil fuels agenda by means of an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and through the creation of a council for energy dominance. He's scrapped some wind energy programs, while at the same time pressing for more drilling.
Total electric sales in Michigan, meanwhile, are on pace to increase by 0.5% relative to year-ago levels, driven by a 2.9% increase in residential demand. Like the rest of the national grid, Michigan relies heavily on natural gas to keep the power on.
As of February, Michigan relied on natural gas for 35.6% of its power supply, compared with 39% for the national average. Coal accounted for 27.5% of the power on the state grid, compared with just 18% nationally.
Inclement weather has already tested the state, with major ice storms wreaking havoc on the state's tourist-dependent upper peninsula, while the lower half of the lower peninsula saw nearly 20 small-scale tornados this year. Nearly 300,000 residents were without power due to mid-March storms in the state.
Longer-term, the MISO district could be tested by an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic, though below-average temperatures across the nation are expected to keep energy demand in check over the next few weeks.
State utility company Consumers Energy (Jackson, Michigan) was preparing to shutter the 60-year coal plant last week as part of a plan to phase out coal in the state. To offset the loss, the state would lean more heavily on natural gas.
In a statement to ABC-affiliate WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dan Scripps, the chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission, a regulatory agency governing state utilities, said the federal emergency order was unnecessary.
"We currently produce more energy in Michigan than needed," he was quoted as saying. "As a result, there is no existing energy emergency in either Michigan or MISO."
The order keeps the plant running through August. It's unclear what happens beyond that.
IIR Energy, meanwhile, found there were more than 62 GW of power plants in various stages of construction during the first quarter, with solar power accounting for 80% of the project starts so far this year.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Soaring temperatures along the U.S. Gulf Coast led to "brown outs" for more than 100,000 customers and businesses last week after the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) ordered restrictions to prevent widespread problems on the grid.
On Friday, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright used expectations of high electricity demand for the upcoming summer as reason to declare an emergency that keeps the 1.5-gigawatt J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant running in Michigan, situated in MISO's territory.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Plant Database can click here for the related plant profiles.
"This administration will not sit back and allow dangerous energy subtraction policies threaten the resiliency of our grid and raise electricity prices on American families," he said.
Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has pushed a decidedly pro-fossil fuels agenda by means of an executive order declaring a national energy emergency and through the creation of a council for energy dominance. He's scrapped some wind energy programs, while at the same time pressing for more drilling.
Total electric sales in Michigan, meanwhile, are on pace to increase by 0.5% relative to year-ago levels, driven by a 2.9% increase in residential demand. Like the rest of the national grid, Michigan relies heavily on natural gas to keep the power on.
As of February, Michigan relied on natural gas for 35.6% of its power supply, compared with 39% for the national average. Coal accounted for 27.5% of the power on the state grid, compared with just 18% nationally.
Inclement weather has already tested the state, with major ice storms wreaking havoc on the state's tourist-dependent upper peninsula, while the lower half of the lower peninsula saw nearly 20 small-scale tornados this year. Nearly 300,000 residents were without power due to mid-March storms in the state.
Longer-term, the MISO district could be tested by an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic, though below-average temperatures across the nation are expected to keep energy demand in check over the next few weeks.
State utility company Consumers Energy (Jackson, Michigan) was preparing to shutter the 60-year coal plant last week as part of a plan to phase out coal in the state. To offset the loss, the state would lean more heavily on natural gas.
In a statement to ABC-affiliate WZZM-13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dan Scripps, the chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission, a regulatory agency governing state utilities, said the federal emergency order was unnecessary.
"We currently produce more energy in Michigan than needed," he was quoted as saying. "As a result, there is no existing energy emergency in either Michigan or MISO."
The order keeps the plant running through August. It's unclear what happens beyond that.
IIR Energy, meanwhile, found there were more than 62 GW of power plants in various stages of construction during the first quarter, with solar power accounting for 80% of the project starts so far this year.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
