2010.10.29 Press Release
PIE&G Member Owners Question Expensive Coal Plant Investment at Annual Membership Meeting
CLEAN ENERGY NOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/29/2010
Contact: Tom Harkleroad, Millersburg Co-op member, 989-938-6210
Jean Veselenak, Citizens for Environmental Inquiry, Millersberg Co-op member, 989-734-2765 or 989- 734-2490
Tiffany Hartung, Sierra Club, cell (248) 933-2451
PIE&G Member Owners Question Expensive Coal Plant Investment at Annual Membership Meeting
Wolverine still fighting to build unnecessary coal plant in Rogers City Despite Huge Rate Increase and Financial Risk to Member Co-ops
Prseque Isle– Presque Isle Eletric and Gas Cooperative Board of Directors were peppered with questions by member owners about the financial risk Wolverine’s proposed coal plant will bring on their co-op and the huge rate increase that would result for member ratepayers. Although Wolverine recently began to publicly doubt it’s own plan to build a coal plant, it is still wasting member co-op’s money in court fighting the permit denial.
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Instead of focusing on expensive fuels of the past, it is time for PIE & G and the other Wolverine Power Cooperative members to focus on energy efficiency and clean energy,” said Tom Harkleroad, Sierra Club member and PIE&G Co-op member from Millersburg. “These are lower cost options that will create good Michigan jobs and help ratepayers pay their bills. Building a dirty coal plant in Rogers City will sends a signal that Michigan is not serious about investing in 21st century energy and good paying jobs.”
The Clean Energy Now coalition supported board of director candidate Wayne Vermilya who is committed to co-op members and PIE&G employees and isn’t afraid to ask tough questions about bad projects.
“It’s been well documented that new coal plants are risky investments,”
Vermilya said.
“Members own the co-op and it’s our money that’s being put at risk.”
Despite road bocks and warning signals by major credit ratings agencies across the nation that new coal plants are expensive and likely to be plagued by long term regulatory and financial problems, PIE&G has continued to support the project.
“By opposing the expensive, dirty coal plant in Rogers City, PIE&G will be upholding its mission to ‘provide energy and other services to sustain and improve the quality of life for our members through the use of a cooperative business structure,’” said Jean Veselenak of Citizens for Environmental Inquiry and PIE&G Co-op member. “Another coal plant in Michigan will not help sustain nor improve the lives of the people who live in northeast Michigan.”
“Thousands of Michigan citizens have said loud and clear they want more clean energy jobs, not another dirty, costly coal plant,” said Tom Karas, Cherryland Cooperative member. “The PIE&G Board should drop its support for an expensive new coal plant. Instead it should use this opportunity to build a stronger energy future for Michigan by investing in clean energy and energy efficiency that will create good paying, 21st century jobs, and Cherryland should follow their leadership.”
The State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment has rejected a permit for Wolverine to build the coal plant in Rogers City. The DNRE said Wolverine had failed to show Michigan needed another coal plant and that any new demand for energy could not be met by renewable energy sources. If Wolverine built the coal plant in Rogers City, the Michigan Public Service Commission estimates that the average residential ratepayers’ bill would go up $76 a month to pay for the coal plant that wouldn’t be needed.
PIE&G held its annual membership meeting today in Onaway.
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