Electric customers in northern Michigan will not be paying for a new coal fired power plant.
Wolverine Power Cooperative announced Tuesday that it will not build its Clean Energy Venture near Rogers City. The Cadillac-based utility supplier put an estimated $20 million dollars into developing plans for the plant over the last seven years.
The Michigan Sierra Club had fought the proposal, saying a new coal plant was unnecessary because cleaner sources of power are available at reasonable rates. But the state had issued an air quality permit for the Rogers City plant, allowing it to be built.
Wolverine is still considering investing in an old coal plant in Marquette. It went into a joint venture with WE Energies of Wisconsin to retrofit the Presque Isle power plant with new air quality equipment.
Wolverine supplies power to six rural electric co-ops including Cherryland and Great Lakes Energy.
