by Jan O'Connell
Sierra Club’s long-term commitment to move West Michigan lakeshore communities beyond coal and fossil gas and the engagement of dedicated community members is paying off with a cleaner, brighter future for these communities. Here are some exciting examples of the progress being made:
A solar farm broke ground this past summer on 1,900 acres owned by Muskegon County. This project took root in 2016. The Michigan Sierra Club was instrumental in encouraging and supporting the solar farm project, especially as an excellent use of land adjacent to the county’s wastewater treatment plant and a landfill. This solar farm will be Consumers Energy's largest at 250 MW, which will provide electricity for about 40,000 homes. Consumers Energy stated that five additional solar projects will go into construction in the next 18 months across Michigan.
In Grand Haven, a new energy direction is moving forward due to the activism and momentum of the community’s citizens. The Grand Haven area began moving away from fossil fuels by closing its municipally owned Sims Coal plant in 2020, imploding it in 2021 and then dropping its plans to build a fossil gas plant. For the last year, area citizens have been working on developing a Grand Haven Area Community Energy Plan. The planning process is designed to address “renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, local economy, climate, environment and sustainability.” The entire process has been inclusive and open to the public. Surveys show that 70% of participants support the current energy and climate planning.
Harbor Island in the Grand River, which was the site of the now closed Sims plant, has been ranked as the 23rd worst coal ash contamination site in the nation. Testing is being done at the site and the city is working with consultants regarding both the island's cleanup and future use. From a survey of more than 550 individuals and open community-visioning workshops, the city is currently looking at three possible plans best suited to Harbor Island’s opportunities and the community’s needs.
Farther south along the lakeshore in West Olive sits the large Consumers Energy's Campbell Coal Plant Complex (1,440 MW) on 1,000 acres. The Michigan Sierra Club worked for nearly 20 years to push for the plant's closure.
Sierra Club is delighted to see this plant is scheduled to close in May 2025, and then decommissioned. The utility is focusing on bringing on 8,000 MW of solar energy and 550 MW of energy storage to the state by 2040.
Consumers Energy has also submitted an application to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) for a potential large battery storage system on the current site of the Campbell plant.
If you have questions on these lakeshore projects, contact Jan O’Connell at jan.oconnell@sierraclub.org or at 616-956-6646