“Families are trying to put presents under the tree at this time of the year, and the federal administration is trying to give us coal for Christmas.”
President of the Greater Grand Rapids branch of the NAACP Cle Jackson joined local leaders, environmental justice advocates and community members addressing the U.S. Department of Energy’s third emergency order keeping Ottawa County’s J.H. Campbell coal plant operational through February, citing grid reliability issues.
“This energy emergency is not based on real grid conditions. It is a political decision out of Washington that forces families across 10 states to subsidize outdated coal.”
Consumers Energy scheduled the plant for closure in May. The utility says maintaining its operation costs regional ratepayers $615,000 per day, or over $80 million since June.
Environmental Justice Committee Chair for Grand Rapids’ NAACP Kareem Scales says that keeping coal plants online adversely affects black and brown communities who often can’t afford to pay the higher rates that come from coal-produced energy.
“Our regulators, Attorney General, health experts and consumer advocates have been clear: there’s no valid reason to keep this plant running. This is a political decision, one that puts public health, grid modernization, and clean energy behind fossil fuel interests.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and lawyers with Earthjustice have filed petitions and appeals with the U.S Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but no rulings have been issued.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
