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Ottawa County asks MPSC to postpone Consumers Energy's Campbell plant closure, citing grid risks
Summary
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution asking the Michigan Public Service Commission to postpone the May 2025 closure of the J.H. Campbell plant, citing a December 2024 NERC warning for the MISO grid and recent changes in resource availability. Commissioners debated next steps and communications to state and federal officials.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted on Feb. 25 to request that the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) postpone the planned closure of the J.H. Campbell power plant in Port Sheldon Township until a new hearing can be held.
The resolution, read into the record and debated at length, cites the North American Electric Reliability Corporation's December 2024 long-term reliability assessment, which the board said flagged the MISO grid as at high risk for shortfalls. Voices at the meeting argued the county's interest in reliable electricity warrants asking the MPSC for a second look. "Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation . . . indicated . . . the only network receiving a high risk warning for shortfalls in electricity supplies is the MISO grid," a commissioner read while placing the resolution on record.
Public commenters and several commissioners urged urgency. Joseph Parnell McCarter, leader of the Save the Campbell effort, told the board: "I thank and applaud the board for its excellent Campbell resolution," and warned of technical and economic risks if replacements do not come online in time.
Board discussion covered legal and practical next steps. Commissioners debated whether the resolution should be sent only to the MPSC or also to state legislators and federal officials; one commissioner said the board would work with staff and local lobbyists to ensure delivery and asked that it be sent by certified mail to create a record. Several commissioners noted that townships and other local units had already passed similar resolutions in recent weeks.
The clerk took a roll-call vote; the motion passed. Commissioners who voted in favor said the resolution is a prudent step pending further review by grid operators and regulators. The board did not direct any unilateral local regulatory action; it referred the matter to the MPSC and indicated staff would follow up on how the resolution would be transmitted.
