Michigan Closes Down Two More Coal Plants, Leaving Just Three Not Scheduled to Close

     Michigan is one of the most beautiful states in the country-- almost as beautiful as Wisconsin. All kidding aside, I consider myself fortunate to wake up every day living just a short ride away from Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes that are home to 95 percent of North America's fresh water. That's why I make protecting the environment, my environment, a priority in my fight to build a better America.

     With the Manchin Project, we're working to address one of the primary issues facing humanity, and maybe THE primary issue-- climate change-- by addressing the damage caused by coal power. Michigan is a perfect example of the progress that can be made in this regard. Michigan, until roughly the turn of the century, ran almost entirely on coal power. After all, Michigan has been the heart of America's auto industry and a place home to proud manufacturing families more broadly. Since 1996, 21 of Michigan's coal plants have closed down while a 22nd was destroyed in an accident. That leaves eight remaining plants. 

     The last two plants to close were in May 2022 and June 2022, respectively, while three of the eight remaining plants are scheduled to close within the next few years. The most exciting news was one plant, the second-largest in the state, that was originally scheduled to close in 2040 but moved its retirement date up to 2025. Two more plants are scheduled to close by 2031 and 2040; the latter, located in Monroe, is the largest coal plant in the state. Neither date is soon enough: we need to phase out coal by 2030 to 2035 nationwide, at the latest. The good news is that these dates can always be and often are moved up, as demonstrated by the aforementioned example.

     There are only three more coal plants in Michigan that are not scheduled to close. All three are tiny-- between 40 and 70 MW-- and two of them are also able to run on alternative fuels: one on natural gas and one on wood waste. These plants, one of which is located in Escanaba itself, are the easiest in the state to retire and should be a priority. We can and we must phase out coal in Michigan by 2035 at the latest; in Wisconsin, in Illinois, and in Minnesota, all but two or three plants in each state are being shut down. Finally, Michigan is catching up very quickly, which should give us all hope for the future of the Great Lakes.