The Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant in Rogers City, MI Part 5
Wolverine Clean Energy Venture to this point had created a good rapport with the town by giving to local charity, opening an office in town to answer questions, organized a Citizens Advisory Board, acquiring zoning approval, asked for and got resolutions of support from the city of Rogers City, the Commissioners of Presque Isle County and Rogers Township. They announced that they were, in the beginning of 2008, attempting to obtain an air quality permit from the state.
In a January 3, 2008 article in the Advance titled, County continues to support Wolverine’s plans, Wolverine’s Director of Community and Government Affairs, Ken Bradstreet, outlines the realities of the need for more power in Michigan. The proposed baseload plant satisfies the Department of Energy as clean coal technology. Bradstreet offered, “Those that oppose projects like this across the country aren’t really helping the environment, because they are forcing us to continue using plants that should be retired.”
The Citizens for Environmental Inquiry (CEI) continued it’s opposition in the opinion page of the Advance. 
In a bid for support of their efforts, Bill Lewis offered an opinion piece citing information he picked from the websites of the DEQ and the EPA. He suggested that the proposed 600 megawatt plant would “require about 14 million gallons of water and 300 tons of coal per hour.” Then suggested that since Wolverine supplies energy to Canada that the “sudden” need for more energy may be to sell to Canada.
A couple of weeks later, a response to the CEI’s attempts to sway public opinion against the plant came from another resident. He described members of the CEI as “doom and gloom….people who are so immersed in water and air pollution numbers that their vision of the future is one of disaster.” The following week, at the end of January, a new group came into town to actively oppose the plant.
Tom Karas founded the Michigan Energy Alternatives of Interlochen. He is a big believer in replacing coal that accounts for 50% of the nations electricity with 20% conservation (less lighting) 20% wind (when it’s blowing) and 10% unspecified new technologies. He also owns a construction company that specializes in “green” (log) homes. He showed up in Rogers City complaining that the power company will more than double the rates of all consumers when the power plant begins production. Karas said he learned of the financial aspects of when he commissioned a study by a financial advisor named Tom Sanzillo.
Who is Tom Sanzillo? He is the former comptroller of New York State, who now represents environmental groups claiming that there is no financial necessity for baseload coal plants. He disputes claims made by not only power companies, but by the states themselves. Karas claimed he met Sanzillo “recently” in Iowa. Perhaps he met him while this youtube video was filmed when Sanzillo was arguing against Alliant Energy in their attempt to supply a power plant in Marshalltown Iowa.
The financial aspects Karas talked about, penned by Sanzillo, convinced him that, “this report explodes the myth that coal is cheap energy and demonstrates that Michigan need no added generating capacity for many years to come.” Quoting from the Advance, “Karas, who voiced his disapproval of Wolverine’s project on many levels, said he receives funding for his efforts from the Energy Foundation, based in San Francisco, California. According to its website, the goal of the Energy Foundation is ‘to develop and promote U.S. state and regional policies to reduce global warming pollution in order to build models for, and momentum toward federal global warming policy.’ ‘They want me to do public education, ‘ Karas said. He also raised concerns on financing, the cost of coal and the diminished demand for energy. ‘The coal industry is responsible for nearly 30% of all the CO2 emissions.’ Karas said.”
Sanzillo is also a star in this video where he testifies against Alliant Energy on behalf of a number of environmental groups. I do not wish to keep the reader in suspense, Alliant Energy gave up on their plans to build a 660 megawatt base load plant in Marshalltown.
In the middle of February, 2008 CEI filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to force regulation of CO2.
To be continued……
