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The Copper Country could be left in the dark, that’s the message from the operators of an Ontonagon power plant.
At their October meeting Tuesday, the Houghton County Board of Commissioners heard from PM Power Group’s Chief Operating Officer Zach Halkula, whose company operates White Pine Electric Power.
The natural gas power plant is set to close on November 26th.
Halkula urged the Board to write a letter of support to Governor Rick Snyder to keep White Pine SSR in place until new power generating units are available.
He warned that under the upcoming plan, which will put local power distribution almost entirely in the hands of American Transmission Company, could isolate the Keweenaw.
Halkula said, in the event of a major power outage, communities from Ontonagon to L’Anse and up to Copper Harbor will essentially be cut off.
Two new power plants are scheduled to come online in 2020.
