The Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant in Rogers City, MI Part 16
Surprise! Michigan doesn’t need Energy!
In Part 13 of this series I covered the governor’s state-of-the-state address where she issued a declaration that the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) would be involved with the DEQ in the issuance of air permits. I mentioned that AG Mike Cox forced Granholm to rescind the order, but in a good faith effort, Wolverine compiled a report and sent it to the MPSC in June.
The Advance reports,
“On April 1, the MPSC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DEQ that clarified each participant’s role and responsibility regarding a review process to evaluate electric generation alternatives and provide technical assistance to the DEQ. This MOU answers requirements of an executive order issued on February 3 by Governor Granholm.
In this new directive, the “MPSC is to provide technical assistance to the DEQ on all matters related to the need for electric generation in the state, as it relates to the analysis that looks at alternatives to coal-fired generation.” The MPSC is also to “review the alternatives analysis to assess whether energy efficiency, renewable energy, or other alternatives meet future electricity needs,” states a press release from the MPSC.”
Executive Vice President for Wolverine Craig Borr concluded the story saying, “Think of it as the DEQ using the MPSC as its power supply or electric generation advisor or consultant.”
So even though the report is not necessary since the MPSC cannot approve or deny permits, only the DEQ can, the MPSC came back with an opinion.
The opinion stated that Wolverine did not successfully demonstrate the need for power, and Wolverine offered a scathing rebuttal to the report which you can read here.
I have to admit, when I heard this opinion by the MPSC I was livid because I knew what they had said just a few years previous. This excerpt is from MPSC Issues Summer 2006 Energy Appraisal.
Electricity – This summer’s combined peak demand in the Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy service areas are projected to total 21,365 MW. This demand will be 722 MW above their in-state generating capacity of 19,250 MW, so purchases of power are being made to assure adequate reserves.
It makes me wonder what has happened to the MPSC in three short years?
The Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant in Rogers City, MI Part 15
Here come the politicians
In April, during the County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner, several state lawmakers spoke in favor of the plant and against the Governor.
House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer stated,
“Our governor seems to have a real problem with coal-fired power plants. When I was sitting in the front row during her State of the State address this year and she said ‘we are going to fight coal by increasing the requirements that the DEQ has in order to approve power plants,’ I just looked at her and said ‘governor, 1,800 jobs in Presque Isle County, what are you talking about?”
“Yet she went on and issued an executive order that changed the law of the state of Michigan by the stroke of a pen that makes it more difficult to operate these plants.” Disturbed by the executive order, Elsenheimer and other state legislators, both Democrat and Republican, petitioned attorney General Mike Cox, to rescind the executive order.”
Thankfully, the executive order was rescinded. What Granholm intended to do with the executive order is to change the air permitting rules. The Attorney General Mike Cox stated,
“Governors can sign bills into law, but they cannot write them. That is the legislature’s job.”
“If the governor wants to pursue changes to the law, the legislature is the proper forum.”
U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak voiced his approval of the plant in a visit as well. He said he has always been impressed with Wolverine’s up -front and honest approach in presenting both the positives of the project and thing that may cause some concern. Speaking about the proposed plant,
“Let me be very clear, I fully support it. I think it is the right thing to do. I think we must have it. I think Wolverine is doing everything they can to make this a positive utility.”
Stupak is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and has been working on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES,) more commonly know as the global warming bill, or cap and trade.
The Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant in Rogers City MI Part 13
Michigan Blown Away
Governor Jennifer Granholm gave her state-of-the-state address in February adding to the obstacles placed in the way of Presque Isle’s economic recovery. You can read the Advance’s story about it here. She pushed for reliance on solar and wind power and energy conservation. Strong conservation habits will be needed precisely because she wants to rely on solar and wind. She introduced a “bold” new “goal” of decreasing the usage of fossil fuels in Michigan by 45% by the year 2020.
“How will we reach this 45-by-20 goal and get the jobs that come with it? Instead of spending nearly $2 billion a year importing coal or natural gas from other states we’ll be spending our energy dollars on Michigan wind turbines, Michigan solar panels, Michigan energy-efficiency devices….” You read that right, she said “instead of.” Granholm’s plan is to eliminate coal-power. If you are keeping score, that puts Granholm on the side of the people who want Rogers City to lose.
“That’s why I have directed the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to evaluate, in consultation with our Public Service Commission, both the need for additional electricity generation and all feasible and prudent alternatives before approving new coal-fired power plants in Michigan.”
I mention this because it will become relevant later in this series. Granholm’s expectation that Michiganders will be able to conserve our way to economic prosperity is a very laughable stance indeed, unless of course you consider the fact that Michigan is and has been the fastest emptying state ever since she came into office.
She also mentions that part of her four point plan is that new jobs will be created when Michiganders winterize their homes. That is a side-splitter. To think that all of us moronic citizens of Michigan haven’t yet thought to winterize our homes and we need the Governor of the state to tell us to do so.
As for Rogers City, the following week a group of citizens traveled to Louisiana to see how a coal plant in construction impacted a small town.
The Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant in Rogers City, MI Part 10
Make room for the DEQ
The month of October in 2008 was so loaded with information and news that I have many times hesitated to synthesize it here. Two major things happened, on October 1st, the Michigan DEQ visited Rogers City for an informational meeting, and public hearings were held October 29th and 30th. At this point, the town and surrounding areas displayed massive support and excitement for the plant. Local residents voluntarily made hundreds of yard signs that said “Lets all Support Wolverine Clean Energy Venture,” every city street was lined with them as well as many rural roads. The Advance alerted everyone to the informational meeting at the high school on October 1st. The meeting was 4 hours long, people came and went, listening to questions being answered by a panel of scientists from the DEQ. If you wished to submit a question, they asked you to fill out a little card with the question and the questions would be picked and answered. If you wished to directly ask a question, there was a microphone available. There was also a table filled with documents including the DEQ’s assessment of the proposed plant. 
I was impressed by the presentation by the DEQ. They were very professional and kind even though many of the questions posed to them by the environmental groups were downright insulting. The Advance offered a series in four parts of the questions and answers that took place at the meeting. Part one can be seen here. Part two here, and part three had some notable exchanges in it.
Question: Although there are no regulations on carbon dioxide emissions today, what happens to the Woverine plant if the federal government decides to regulate carbon dioxide emissions in the future?
(Mary Ann Dolehanty, DEQ acting permit section supervisor) – “We did not attempt to quantify carbon dioxide emissions in regards to this plant. We did not attempt to put limits in the permit. What the state of Michigan has elected to do is to approach this from a broad-based perspective. Through an executive order by the governor there was established the Michigan Climate Action Council. That council is charged with coming up with recommendations for where our state is going to go in relation to carbon dioxide regulations. What we may be looking at is new laws, regulations or rules that we have to operate under. If that were to happen, (Wolverine) would be subject to that and would have to make any modifications to comply with those rules.”
Question: –What is the environmental impact of mercury emissions?
(Sills) –“The environmental impacts of mercury exposure is very low in the air. In fact thousands of times lower than a level that can be estimated to cause any health effects. Accumulation levels in fish are on the order of about .004 parts per million which is roughly about 100 times lower than a level than probably is existing in fish now in this area which is still lower yet than levels that become of concern for the DEQ as a trigger to issue fish consumption advisories. “So this would be a very small increment to the levels that already exist and are naturally occurring in fish. It is not enough to bump it up over and get to a level of concern and this is looking at the most highly impacted lake, which is Swan Lake about three miles east of the facility.”
Part 4 to me, is the most notable back and forth both because it answers questions that will become relevant later in this series, and it debunks a lot of issues the outside groups had been insisting on arguing about. This one is my favorite.
Question—Having established that you are qualified to conduct this permit process, and given your extensive review and the conditions established in the draft permit, do those conditions effectively protect the community of Rogers City and the county of Presque Isle? I would like each of you to answer this.
(Byrnes)—“Yes.” (Julie Brunner, P.E. DEQ senior environmental engineer, permit section)—“Yes.” (Haywood)—“Yes.” (Sills)—“Yes.” (Rogers)—“If they comply with it.”
I attended one of meetings of the Wolverine Clean Energy Venture Support Group within the next following weeks. I personally was surprised at the attitudes of a few leaders there. They believed that the coal plant was inevitable and that the environmental groups didn’t have any fight left in them. However everyone was gearing up for the public hearings at the end of the month.
Shortly thereafter, the AndersonEconomic group gave it’s study results of the economic impact of the inclusion of biomass to the coal plant’s mix of alternative fuels. Remember, the initial economic impact study did not include biomass. The study looked at the expected job creation depending on how much biomass the company would include. With just 5 percent usage of the natural materials, 54 jobs could be created within the four counties of Alpena, Montmorency, Presque Isle and Cheboygan. If the company were to use 10 percent, 115 new jobs created, at 15%, 189 newly created jobs and if the company were to use its 20 percent maximum, 284 new jobs. These jobs are over and above the estimate of direct and indirect job creation besides the plant itself.
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Earth Day Rebellion
Last night my daughter recounted an event that happened in her classroom.
Yesterday was Earth Day, a silly memorial observed by the media and people who need to feel guilt. I am only aware that it was because of the news cycle.
The teacher, a substitute, was attempting to involve the children in a discussion about what hurts and what helps our environment. She wrote two columns on the board with the headings ‘HURT’ and ‘HELP.’ The children volunteered information on the topic and the teacher wrote each suggestion under the appropriate title.
The last entry in the ‘HURT’ column was “global warming” which the teacher circled to highlight it’s superior importence.
My daughter said, “But, global warming is a myth.”
Immediately one child said, “No it isn’t!” Another child said, “That’s not true!” Then one child said, “I’m with you, Veronica!”
The teacher wheeled around and said, “Stop! Who said it’s a myth?” Most of the children pointed at Veronica.
The teacher said, “That is one of the most wrong things I have ever heard.” To which my daughter responded, “Did you see the amount of snow we got this winter?” A different child than the one that said she ‘was with my daughter’ said, “Exactly, Veronica.”
The teacher went on to prove her point by citing, “The polar ice caps are melting, that is not an accident.” She then went on with more drivel fed to her by her superior intellect and the American-engine of the world-crushing group-think of Al Gore.
When my daughter told my husband about the incident, he high-fived her and when she told me, I told her how proud of her I am.
Global sea ice is back to the levels it was thirty years ago.
America, The Christian Nation
A lot of talk has been started about Obama’s speech during Holy Week of the idea that America is not a Christian nation. While in Turkey, a Muslim country, Obama said the following:
“One of the great strengths of the United States is, ahhh.. although as I have mentioned, ah.. we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation, ahh.. we consider ourselves ahhh.. a nation of citizens who are ahh.. bound by ideals and a set of values.”
Hm. If we are not a Christian nation, then why does this administration, in it’s policies and campaign, use Christian guilt against us.
It is true our nation was built by the philosophies espoused by the founding fathers, most of which were Christian. However, using the idea that we should, through taxation, take from the haves, and give to the have-nots, is bogus.
As a nation of citizens, we are to do with our earned assests what we wish to do. If you wish to give to those less fortunate, then by all means, do so. There are churches, charities and personal ways of doing this noble deed.
But when the government of any nation forces any man to give to others for the “common good” it is using a bastardized version of what our God compels us to do. At the same time, Obama and his party uses our tax dollars to promote and afford abortion for not only our nation of citizens, but for the citizens of other nations, and cutting funding for the defense of our great nation.
Puma Is Another Name For Cougar
Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) prototype is shown in Brooklyn April 4. GM and Segway say the vehicle could allow people to travel around cities more quickly, safely, quietly and cleanly, and at a lower total cost. (Wall Street Journal Tuesday April 7, 2009)
Careful, if you kick the tires, they could fall off.
Here, get a real good look.
The machine, which GM says it aims to develop by 2012, would run on batteries and use wireless technology to avoid traffic backups and navigate cities. (Wall Street Journal)
Yes, but can it do this?
or this?
How about this?
No?
Then I’ll pass.
