Michigan Attorney General Urges Regulators to Reject Consumers Energy Dam Sale: 13 Old Dams Priced at $1 Each
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel publicly urged the state Public Service Commission on October 22 to reject Consumers Energy's sale of its 13 aging hydroelectric dams to a private company. The buyer is Confluence Hydro; under the purchase agreement signed last year, the dams would transfer for $1 each, and the deal still requires approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). In northern Michigan, the transaction involves the Hodenpyl and Tippy dams on the Manistee River.
Nessel said she and environmental groups tried this month to renegotiate terms on cost and safety issues but failed. 'The negotiations went nowhere,' she told Interlochen Public Radio. 'Consumers Energy's consistent attitude is that it's their way or the highway, and their plan could be very dangerous for the people of this state.' She argues that Confluence Hydro's parent company, Hull Street Energy, should be named the party responsible for operations, maintenance and all future removal costs; otherwise, if a dam fails, taxpayers could ultimately pay.
Consumers Energy spokesperson Brian Wheeler responded that Nessel is 'deliberately sabotaging' the process and should 'negotiate in good faith rather than chase headlines.' The company says the sale is the cheapest option for ratepayers, preserving both the dams and the reservoirs communities cherish. Consumers had asked the MPSC to extend its decision timeline two days before an initial September 10 ruling deadline, saying the parties might have a chance to reach a constructive solution. Opponents say the two sides are too far apart on fundamental issues to reconcile. This summer, after an administrative law judge recommended rejecting the 'troubled' deal, Nessel withdrew her earlier conditional support. After spring flooding in Michigan pushed several dams to dangerous water levels, state dam safety reform legislation moved close to passage in the legislature this month and awaits Governor Gretchen Whitmer's signature.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 密歇根州 Tippy 大坝 / Tippy Dam on the Manistee River, Michigan — Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
