Latest news with #DanScripps
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
The Trump admin ordered a coal power plant to stay on past retirement. Customers in 15 states will foot the bill
An aging coal power plant that was supposed to shutter last week will run throughout the summer at the order of President Donald Trump's Energy Sec. Chris Wright, a decision that could cost Midwest energy customers tens of millions of dollars. The last-minute federal order to keep the J.H. Campbell plant operating came as a surprise to Michigan officials, including the head of the state's Public Service Commission, given it was at the tail end of a multi-year retirement process that was approved in 2022. 'The grid operator hadn't asked for this, the utility hadn't asked for this, we as the state hadn't asked for this,' said Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission. 'We certainly didn't have any conversations with the (Energy Department) in advance of the order, or since.' Wright's May 23 emergency order cited concerns the Midwest could face a summer electricity shortage due to a lack of available coal, gas and nuclear plants that can provide stable baseload power. But Consumers Energy, the utility that owns the coal plant, told CNN in an email it already purchased another natural gas-fired power plant to carry the load when the coal plant went offline. Scripps said the cost to keep the over-60-year-old plant operating, even for 90 days, will be high, and customers in 15 states will foot the bill. 'I can say with a pretty high degree of confidence that we're looking at multiple tens of millions of dollars at the low end,' Scripps said. 'I think there's a range between there and the high end of getting close to $100 million.' It's unclear so far what that will mean for individual electricity bills, Scripps added, given the uncertainty about final cost. 'For years, American grid operators have warned decommissioning baseload power sources such as coal plants would jeopardize the reliability of our grid systems, which has raised alarm bells,' Energy Department spokesperson Ben Dietderich said in a statement. Dietderich didn't say whether the Energy Department had conducted a cost analysis before issuing the emergency order. It's unclear whether the department realized the company already had a plan to maintain baseload power after its closure. Wright issued another emergency order last week to keep a Pennsylvania power plant that runs on natural gas and oil open past its May 31 retirement date. Coal is the dirtiest fuel large plants still burn for electricity, and it's now the most expensive as renewable energy sources like solar have become increasingly cost-effective. Although natural gas is a fossil fuel and contributes significantly to warming the planet, it is still considered a cheaper and less-polluting option. Gas generates 43% of the country's electricity. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she is considering legal action against the federal government. Nessel and energy experts said such an emergency order from the federal government is extremely rare and usually reserved for the aftermath of severe storms or natural disasters. 'This is a novel case for us,' Nessel said. 'We've not had to do this before.' She reiterated keeping the plant open would 'significantly' raise electricity rates, saying, 'The whole point of closing this plant down was to save money.' More electric utilities are retiring their coal plants because they are old and especially expensive to run. In 2021, the average coal-fired power plant was 45 years old, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration. The Energy Department's order didn't specify exactly how much the Michigan coal plant should run, saying it was requiring the utility to 'take all measures necessary to ensure that the Campbell Plant is available to operate.' Scripps and energy experts said that means the coal plant would likely run continuously at a lower level throughout the summer, or until Wright's order ends. Unlike gas plants, coal plants can't be easily turned on and off with the flip of a switch and take time to ramp up and come online. The Campbell plant is so old — it has been operating since 1962 — that Michigan energy regulators feared it could not physically turn back on once it was powered off. The utility will also have to buy more coal to keep it going. Consumers Energy said it has 'arranged for new shipments of coal to keep the plant operating.' A new report from think tank Energy Innovation found the cost of coal-fired power has grown faster than inflation in the last few years — collectively costing US consumers $6.2 billion more in 2024 than it would have cost in 2021. 'Even existing coal where it has fully depreciated and been paid off, the cost of coal is more than solar and storage at this point,' said Doug Lewin, a Texas based energy expert who authors the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter and host of the Energy Capital Podcast. Lewin covers the energy transition in deep red Texas, where power companies are building wind, solar and battery storage at an incredible pace. Of the significant amount of new electricity added to the Texas grid in the last four years, 92% has been wind, solar and storage, Lewin said. That has paid dividends, keeping energy prices relatively low and meeting the state's exploding power demand from air conditioning, data centers and big industry. 'All throughout the summer months, you're getting maximum solar output,' Lewin said. 'It's very well correlated to peak demand. For a place with massive AC load like Texas, it's fantastic.' Texas has also invested a lot in big batteries that can keep power flowing to the grid after the sun stops shining and the wind stops blowing. Energy Sec. Wright, however, has panned renewables, saying they are not a reliable replacement for fossil fuels. 'There is simply no physical way that wind, solar and batteries could replace the myriad uses of natural gas,' he said at Houston energy conference CERAWeek in March. 'I haven't even mentioned oil or coal yet.' • Trump EPA drafting a rule that would undo decades of progress on limiting pollution from power plants • The jobs and tax credits that could disappear if the 'big, beautiful' bill passes the Senate • A polluting, coal-fired power plant found the key to solving America's biggest clean energy challenge
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
The Trump admin ordered a coal power plant to stay on past retirement. Customers in 15 states will foot the bill
An aging coal power plant that was supposed to shutter last week will run throughout the summer at the order of President Donald Trump's Energy Sec. Chris Wright, a decision that could cost Midwest energy customers tens of millions of dollars. The last-minute federal order to keep the J.H. Campbell plant operating came as a surprise to Michigan officials, including the head of the state's Public Service Commission, given it was at the tail end of a multi-year retirement process that was approved in 2022. 'The grid operator hadn't asked for this, the utility hadn't asked for this, we as the state hadn't asked for this,' said Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission. 'We certainly didn't have any conversations with the (Energy Department) in advance of the order, or since.' Wright's May 23 emergency order cited concerns the Midwest could face a summer electricity shortage due to a lack of available coal, gas and nuclear plants that can provide stable baseload power. But Consumers Energy, the utility that owns the coal plant, told CNN in an email it already purchased another natural gas-fired power plant to carry the load when the coal plant went offline. Scripps said the cost to keep the over-60-year-old plant operating, even for 90 days, will be high, and customers in 15 states will foot the bill. 'I can say with a pretty high degree of confidence that we're looking at multiple tens of millions of dollars at the low end,' Scripps said. 'I think there's a range between there and the high end of getting close to $100 million.' It's unclear so far what that will mean for individual electricity bills, Scripps added, given the uncertainty about final cost. 'For years, American grid operators have warned decommissioning baseload power sources such as coal plants would jeopardize the reliability of our grid systems, which has raised alarm bells,' Energy Department spokesperson Ben Dietderich said in a statement. Dietderich didn't say whether the Energy Department had conducted a cost analysis before issuing the emergency order. It's unclear whether the department realized the company already had a plan to maintain baseload power after its closure. Wright issued another emergency order last week to keep a Pennsylvania power plant that runs on natural gas and oil open past its May 31 retirement date. Coal is the dirtiest fuel large plants still burn for electricity, and it's now the most expensive as renewable energy sources like solar have become increasingly cost-effective. Although natural gas is a fossil fuel and contributes significantly to warming the planet, it is still considered a cheaper and less-polluting option. Gas generates 43% of the country's electricity. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she is considering legal action against the federal government. Nessel and energy experts said such an emergency order from the federal government is extremely rare and usually reserved for the aftermath of severe storms or natural disasters. 'This is a novel case for us,' Nessel said. 'We've not had to do this before.' She reiterated keeping the plant open would 'significantly' raise electricity rates, saying, 'The whole point of closing this plant down was to save money.' More electric utilities are retiring their coal plants because they are old and especially expensive to run. In 2021, the average coal-fired power plant was 45 years old, according to a report from the Energy Information Administration. The Energy Department's order didn't specify exactly how much the Michigan coal plant should run, saying it was requiring the utility to 'take all measures necessary to ensure that the Campbell Plant is available to operate.' Scripps and energy experts said that means the coal plant would likely run continuously at a lower level throughout the summer, or until Wright's order ends. Unlike gas plants, coal plants can't be easily turned on and off with the flip of a switch and take time to ramp up and come online. The Campbell plant is so old — it has been operating since 1962 — that Michigan energy regulators feared it could not physically turn back on once it was powered off. The utility will also have to buy more coal to keep it going. Consumers Energy said it has 'arranged for new shipments of coal to keep the plant operating.' A new report from think tank Energy Innovation found the cost of coal-fired power has grown faster than inflation in the last few years — collectively costing US consumers $6.2 billion more in 2024 than it would have cost in 2021. 'Even existing coal where it has fully depreciated and been paid off, the cost of coal is more than solar and storage at this point,' said Doug Lewin, a Texas based energy expert who authors the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter and host of the Energy Capital Podcast. Lewin covers the energy transition in deep red Texas, where power companies are building wind, solar and battery storage at an incredible pace. Of the significant amount of new electricity added to the Texas grid in the last four years, 92% has been wind, solar and storage, Lewin said. That has paid dividends, keeping energy prices relatively low and meeting the state's exploding power demand from air conditioning, data centers and big industry. 'All throughout the summer months, you're getting maximum solar output,' Lewin said. 'It's very well correlated to peak demand. For a place with massive AC load like Texas, it's fantastic.' Texas has also invested a lot in big batteries that can keep power flowing to the grid after the sun stops shining and the wind stops blowing. Energy Sec. Wright, however, has panned renewables, saying they are not a reliable replacement for fossil fuels. 'There is simply no physical way that wind, solar and batteries could replace the myriad uses of natural gas,' he said at Houston energy conference CERAWeek in March. 'I haven't even mentioned oil or coal yet.' • Trump EPA drafting a rule that would undo decades of progress on limiting pollution from power plants • The jobs and tax credits that could disappear if the 'big, beautiful' bill passes the Senate • A polluting, coal-fired power plant found the key to solving America's biggest clean energy challenge
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Groups to rally ahead of Michigan Public Service Commission meeting in Detroit
Advocacy groups — and a state representative — are planning to raise concerns about the Michigan Public Service Commission and proposed utility rate hikes at a rally Thursday in Detroit, an hour before the regulatory agency's meeting. The rally is set to start at 5 p.m. at Cadillac Place, 3022 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit, where the commission's town hall-style meeting is scheduled as part of an ongoing, legally required process of looking at ways the commission can improve public participation in proceedings. The meeting, set for 6-8 p.m., in Room L-150, is expected to include all three commissioners, chair Dan Scripps, Katherine Peretick and Alessandra Carreon, as well as staff, who are expected to be on hand to hear the public's ideas. The Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the non-partisan political environmental organization which announced the rally on Wednesday, said the rally is an opportunity to "voice concerns about utility rates" and other issues. "Rallygoers will speak out about high energy bills, poor reliability and the powerful influence monopoly utility companies DTE and Consumers Energy hold in Lansing," the league said, adding the aim is to "call out the outsized influence of utility companies on lawmakers, high rates, poor reliability and the need to better hold them accountable." In addition to its members, the league said it is expecting representatives from Clean Water Action, Detroit Action, Michigan United Action, Voters Not Politicians, and State Rep. Donavan McKinney, D-Detroit, who is also running for Congress, at the rally. McKinney, who has been critical of DTE's spending on advertising as unnecessary because it is a virtual monopoly and executive benefits, told the Free Press he is concerned about the rate increase proposal. He also, he said, is working on legislation to continue to require the commission to be more accessible by holding meetings outside Lansing. "I'll be there for a little bit today," he said Thursday, adding that an increase in utility bills is too burdensome to his constituents. "We just want to see the commission hold our utilities accountable." Scripps, who spoke to the Free Press on Wednesday, said he was unaware of the rally, but welcomed the chance to engage with Michiganders in person or by phone, email or mail to hear concerns, complaints or answer questions. Over the last few years, he added, the commission has tried to do more to be accessible to Michiganders, including holding meetings throughout the state in cities outside Lansing that would be more convenient for people to attend. Other groups, he said, have used commission meetings as an opportunity to organize. More: Trump administration orders Consumers Energy to keep Michigan coal-fired power plant open There is no set agenda for the meeting other than remarks from the commissioners, representatives from the attorney general's office and the Utility Consumer Participation Board, and depending on turnout, group conversations, a commission spokesman said. The commissioners are appointed by the governor to staggered terms. DTE rate hikes are on the minds of utility customers because the commission is in the process of reviewing a rate hike of $574 million, more than twice what it granted DTE just months ago — and, if approved, it would result in higher electricity bills for customers. Scripps said the commission will review DTE's request, line by line. Some Michiganders, including Michigan's attorney general, have questioned the rate increases and whether additional revenue will benefit customers or is aimed at improving the bottom line to make the company more attractive to investors. "At some point, we have to ask how long utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy will be allowed to treat customer bills and our energy rates like a blank check," Nessel said in an April press release. "My office will carefully scrutinize this rate hike request." In separate investigations, the Free Press has scrutinized the commission. One report in late 2023 looked into whether the commission and the utilities it regulates were too cozy. Last year, another reported on how the agency handled consumer complaints. Critics of the commission said its little-known formal complaint process for resolving grievances with a public utility was intimidating and difficult to navigate and placed the burden of proof on the consumer. Scripps, who is an attorney, explained that the commission, like any government organization, seeks to balance various competing perspectives and interests, including those between the public and the utilities. In addition, Scripps said, in an effort to be fair, the commission is required to follow nuanced rules that can limit some conversations with parties outside the formal process on issues the commission is deciding. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Groups to rally ahead of Michigan Public Service Commission town hall
San Francisco Chronicle
27-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump administration orders Michigan coal plant to stay open
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Energy Department ordered a Michigan coal-fired power plant to remain open, at least until late August, citing possible electricity shortfalls in the central U.S. State regulators immediately fired back, saying it's unnecessary to keep Consumers Energy's J.H. Campbell plant open. It was supposed to close May 31. 'We currently produce more energy in Michigan than needed. As a result, there is no existing energy emergency in either Michigan or MISO,' said Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission. MISO stands for Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity in 15 U.S. states and Manitoba in Canada. MISO's forecast says there should be enough electricity in the region this summer though "there is the potential for elevated risk during extreme weather." Consumers Energy is planning to close Campbell as part of a transition to cleaner energy. The power plant opened in 1962 in western Michigan's Ottawa County, near Lake Michigan. It can generate up to 1,450 megawatts of electricity to serve up to 1 million people, the utility said. 'MISO and Consumers Energy shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the Campbell Plant is available to operate,' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday. "Yes, the plant will stay on and produce electricity," spokesperson Brian Wheeler said Tuesday. An environmental group, the Sierra Club, panned the government order. 'Coal is expensive, outdated and deadly. ... Consumers Energy is right to finally retire this hugely expensive plant that is costing Michiganders their lives,' attorney Greg Wannier said, referring to the health effects of coal emissions.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration orders Michigan coal plant to stay open
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Energy Department ordered a Michigan coal-fired power plant to remain open, at least until late August, citing possible electricity shortfalls in the central U.S. State regulators immediately fired back, saying it's unnecessary to keep Consumers Energy's J.H. Campbell plant open. It was supposed to close May 31. 'We currently produce more energy in Michigan than needed. As a result, there is no existing energy emergency in either Michigan or MISO,' said Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission. MISO stands for Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the flow of electricity in 15 U.S. states and Manitoba in Canada. MISO's forecast says there should be enough electricity in the region this summer though "there is the potential for elevated risk during extreme weather." Consumers Energy is planning to close Campbell as part of a transition to cleaner energy. The power plant opened in 1962 in western Michigan's Ottawa County, near Lake Michigan. It can generate up to 1,450 megawatts of electricity to serve up to 1 million people, the utility said. 'MISO and Consumers Energy shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the Campbell Plant is available to operate,' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday. The utility said it will comply with the order, which expires Aug. 21. "Yes, the plant will stay on and produce electricity," spokesperson Brian Wheeler said Tuesday. An environmental group, the Sierra Club, panned the government order. 'Coal is expensive, outdated and deadly. ... Consumers Energy is right to finally retire this hugely expensive plant that is costing Michiganders their lives,' attorney Greg Wannier said, referring to the health effects of coal emissions. Ed White, The Associated Press
