Plenty of Energy at Rotary
There was plenty of energy in the room during Tuesday’s Rotary meeting.
Maybe it was because we met in Kirkbride Hall in Building 50, where Ray Minervini was a gracious host to us.
Maybe it was because the weather is finally starting to feel like spring.
Or maybe it was because fellow Rotarian Doug DeYoung of Consumers Energy gave us an update on our upcoming power supply issues.
“Natural gas is king right now,” said Doug. “Nine coal plants in the state are being retired, so we are going to lose capacity. Nuclear isn’t going anywhere because the last time an application was made to build a nuclear facility was 10 years ago – and the application is still sitting on a desk in Lansing.”
So Doug and Consumers Energy, along with other area power providers like Cherryland Electric Cooperative and Traverse City Light & Power, are exploring options. Consumers and Cherryland both have new natural gas plants in the works.
“We have enough power to get through an average day,” said Doug. “The problem lies in backup capacity. On a hot summer day when everyone has their air conditioners on, that’s when we’re going to have challenges. And when we have to go to the grid to buy power, the cost gets very expensive.”
He talked about where Michigan gets its power and how it is regulated by an organization named MISO, which oversees nine zones in the Midwest.
Consumers, like the other utilities, has rolled out options like energy optimization and green alternatives like wind and solar.
“They all have to be part of the mix,” said Doug, who was introduced by Steve Wade.
Maybe it was because we met in Kirkbride Hall in Building 50, where Ray Minervini was a gracious host to us.
Maybe it was because the weather is finally starting to feel like spring.
Or maybe it was because fellow Rotarian Doug DeYoung of Consumers Energy gave us an update on our upcoming power supply issues.
“Natural gas is king right now,” said Doug. “Nine coal plants in the state are being retired, so we are going to lose capacity. Nuclear isn’t going anywhere because the last time an application was made to build a nuclear facility was 10 years ago – and the application is still sitting on a desk in Lansing.”
So Doug and Consumers Energy, along with other area power providers like Cherryland Electric Cooperative and Traverse City Light & Power, are exploring options. Consumers and Cherryland both have new natural gas plants in the works.
“We have enough power to get through an average day,” said Doug. “The problem lies in backup capacity. On a hot summer day when everyone has their air conditioners on, that’s when we’re going to have challenges. And when we have to go to the grid to buy power, the cost gets very expensive.”
He talked about where Michigan gets its power and how it is regulated by an organization named MISO, which oversees nine zones in the Midwest.
Consumers, like the other utilities, has rolled out options like energy optimization and green alternatives like wind and solar.
“They all have to be part of the mix,” said Doug, who was introduced by Steve Wade.