Bill Text: MI HR0230 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to urge the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to approve the pending air quality permits for the Wolverine Power Plant and Holland Municipal Expansion projects.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 43-27)
Status: (Passed) 2010-04-15 - Adopted [HR0230 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HR0230-Introduced.html
Reps. Haveman, Elsenheimer, Haines, Moss, Meekhof, Rocca, Bennett, Mayes, Wayne Schmidt, Horn, Neumann, Hansen, Marleau, Kowall, Kurtz, Ball, Kandrevas, Byrum, Roy Schmidt, Geiss, Constan, Slezak, Denby, Lori, Tyler, Bolger, Crawford, Pearce, Paul Scott, Proos, Spade, Polidori, Espinoza, Lahti, Rick Jones, McMillin, Genetski, Booher, Haugh, Liss, Haase, Griffin, Meadows, Melton, Stamas, Schuitmaker, Rogers, Opsommer, Hildenbrand, DeShazor, Knollenberg, Caul, Agema, Amash, Meltzer, Moore, Lund, Bettie Scott, McDowell, Calley, Walsh, Pavlov, Daley, Sheltrown, Green, Clemente, Terry Brown, Cushingberry, Young and Lindberg offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 230.
A resolution to urge the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to approve the pending air quality permits for the Wolverine Power Plant and Holland Municipal Expansion projects.
Whereas, Business and residential demand for electricity is projected to grow an average of 1.2 percent per year over the next 20 years according to the Governor's 21st Century Energy Plan. Base-load power plants are primary suppliers of electricity and it has been more than 20 years since a base-load power plant has been constructed in Michigan. The average age of the state's power plants is 48 years; and
Whereas, The Holland Board of Public Works submitted an application for a permit-to-install to the Department of Environmental Quality (now the Department of Natural Resources and Environment) in January 2007 seeking approval to expand their existing base-load capacity at the James DeYoung Generating Station with the construction of a new boiler generating 78 megawatts of electricity. The Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative submitted an application for a permit-to-install to the department in September 2007 seeking approval to construct a new base-load power plant in Rogers City with the capacity to generate 600 megawatts of electricity. Both plants have the capacity to convert biomass to electricity to supplement the energy produced by coal, which is the principle fuel. In 2004, the department trumpeted its ability to issue permits-to-install in 6 months or less. These vital energy capacity projects are entering their fourth and third year of limbo waiting approval, which is an egregious delay; and
Whereas, Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative was awarded a nearly $3 million dollar federal grant to construct a carbon capture and storage project at the new base-load facility. The grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy is part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is contingent upon approval of the permit-to-install. Wolverine would use the grant to install technologies that reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which would help position Michigan as a leader in developing and implementing green energy technologies. Wolverine is seeking additional federal grants that could provide more than $100 million for construction of the new base-load capacity; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we to urge the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to approve the pending air quality permits for the Wolverine Power Plant and Holland Municipal Expansion projects; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
