Elected leaders keep up pressure and support strong for Wolverine

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

While the status of Wolverine Power?s air quality permit remains in political and administrative limbo, federal elected leaders have voiced their support for the project. That support was sent to Steven Chu, secretary of the Department of Energy, (DOE), who will determine if Wolverine will receive funding towards a demonstration carbon sequestration facility as part of its Clean Energy Venture in the Calcite quarry in Rogers Township.

Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Bart Stupak each sent letters of recommendation to the DOE secretary in hopes of luring the funding and benefits to Michigan. ?I am writing to offer my continued support of the Wolverine project and its Phase II application recently submitted to the DOE,? Levin said. ?Wolverine?s proposed $150 demonstration project near Rogers City would be a collaborative effort among several partners with relevant expertise in a wide range of fields including Wolverine, Hitachi Power Systems, Dow Chemical Company, Western Michigan University and Core Energy.?

Levin likes the idea that the carbon sequestration facility would capture carbon dioxide from the power plant at the rate of 1,000 tons per day. That would be scaled up to more that one million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Stabenow said that Phase II funding would be used for ?this innovative effort to reduce harmful fossil fuel emissions.? ?Michigan is well positioned to develop the technology that will enable us to achieve energy security and economic revitalization through a low carbon economy. We have the infrastructure and resources to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and I am please that Michigan companies, like Wolverine Power Cooperative, are stepping up to be at the cutting edge of this technology,? Stabenow told the DOE secretary. Stupak said that Michigan is a prime location for demonstrating the feasibility of carbon sequestration technology.

?With several Michigan partners that are leaders in their respective fields, this project represents an ideal candidate for demonstration of carbon sequestration technology and would be consistent with the administration?s focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving energy independence,? Stupak said. A holdup to any money coming from the federal level is the air quality permit, presumably still on the desk of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) ?decision-maker? G. Vinson Hellwig. State Rep. Andy Neumann (D-Alpena) this week sent a letter to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm requesting that she expedite the air permit process for Wolverine which has been ongoing since September 2007. Wolverine Power recently applied for a $176 million federal grant to help with construction of the plant, but the funding cannot be approved without an air permit.

?The permit process for Wolverine has been going on for years, and millions of dollars and thousands of jobs all rely on the governor’s OK,? Neumann said. ?Our workers here in northern Michigan need the good-paying jobs that this project will create and they shouldn’t have to wait any longer. It’s time for the governor to do every

thing in her power to expedite this air permit and help ensure that our workers, community and Wolverine Power aren’t forced to watch this federal grant slip away.?

The letter, which was also signed by State Representatives Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard) and Joel Sheltrown (D-West Branch), called for the governor’s support of Wolverine Power?s plans to build a 600-megawatt coal plant near Rogers City. In addition to awarding an air permit to the company, the lawmakers requested that the governor send a strong letter of support to the DOE on behalf of the project, as did Levin, Stupak and Stabenow.

Neumann said that without the support of the governor, it’s likely that the $176 million grant will be awarded to another project in another state. According to the lawmakers’ letter, all of the work for the air permit is completed at the DNRE and Wolverine has satisfied all of the requirements to obtain it. The project simply needs the governor’s approval to become a reality and create thousands of jobs for northern Michigan workers.

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