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Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Shuts Down Due to Noise, Vibration

Over 20 years ago, Indeck Energy floated a plan to build an electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, near Chicago. In 2016, those plans got serious (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). Indeck held an official groundbreaking ceremony in September 2019 (see Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Construction), and in September 2021, the plant began to generate electricity (see Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Producing Electricity). This week, the plant shut down, temporarily.
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Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Producing Electricity

Some 20 years ago Indeck Energy floated a plan to build an electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, not far from Chicago. In 2016 those plans got serious (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). Indeck finally held an official groundbreaking ceremony in September 2019 (see Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Construction). We’re happy to report the Niles Energy Center is now online, generating electricity from natural gas.
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DTE Energy’s Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Begins Commercial Operation

In August 2018 DTE Energy broke ground on a new state-of-the-art natural gas-fired power plant in St. Clair County, Michigan (see DTE Energy’s Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Breaks Ground Today). The gas-fired Blue Water Energy Center will produce 1,150 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 850,000 homes, helping to offset three coal-fired plants set to retire by 2023. Construction on the project was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, but restarted in May 2020 (see DTE Energy Restarts Construction at Michigan Gas-Fired Plant May 4). We have fantastic news! The plant is now done, online, and producing 1,150 MW of electricity–using natural gas to do it.
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Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Nears End of Construction, Tests Begin Oct

Nearly 20 years ago Indeck Energy floated a plan to build an electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, not far from Chicago. In 2016 those plans got serious (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). Indeck finally held an official groundbreaking ceremony in September 2019 (see Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Construction). Construction is almost done and testing is set to begin in October.
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Michigan Utility Trading Coal for Gas-Fired Electric Plants

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s second-largest power provider, will quit burning coal to produce electricity by 2025 and instead will purchase four existing natural gas-fired power plants for $1.3 billion. At least if the company can get approval from state regulators. The company says buying existing gas-fired plants (instead of building new plants) will help it transition to carbonless energy over the next 20 years. Buying instead of building means the company won’t have “stranded assets” when (we say if) they eventually foreswear using fossil fuels to generate electricity.
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ET Asks Judge to Dismiss Mich. Activist Lawsuit Against Rover Pipe

In late 2018 the final two segments of the already-operational Rover Pipeline went online, making the project 100% complete (see FERC OKs Final 2 Rover Pipeline Laterals – Now 100% Online). Rover is a 713-mile, 3.25 Bcf/d natural gas pipeline that transports domestically produced natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica production areas to markets across the United States as well as to the Union Gas Dawn Storage Hub in Ontario, Canada. Although completed and running for years, the pipeline still faces a few lingering lawsuits over its construction.
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Converted Ethane Pipeline to Flow M-U Propane Across Michigan

Michigan Express Pipeline map (click for larger version)

Silver Wolf Midstream, a new company with offices in Michigan and Texas, is in the final stages of buying and will soon convert an existing 225-mile, 8-inch coated steel ethane pipeline in Michigan. The pipeline, to be renamed the Michigan Express Pipeline, will be repurposed to flow propane instead of ethane. We wouldn’t be interested in this project if not for the fact there’s a Marcellus/Utica connection.
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Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Finally Begins Construction

click for larger version

Nearly 20 years ago Indeck Energy floated a plan to build a an electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, not far from Chicago. In 2016 those plans got serious (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). In February 2018, Indeck said construction would begin in summer 2018–which never happened. Yesterday, Indeck finally held an official groundbreaking ceremony. The plant is now officially under construction.
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What Caused the MI NatGas Compressor Stn Fire in January?

You may recall MDN covering the story of the compressor station in Michigan that caught fire and exploded in January (see Michigan NatGas Compressor Station Catches Fire, Explodes). That single compressor (single point of failure, as it turns out) is responsible for pumping natgas to two-thirds of Michigan residents. After a two-month investigation, the station’s owner says it knows what happened, which can be summed up as a series of unfortunate events.
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Rover Pipe Paid $73M in Property Taxes Last Year, $180M This Year

One of the arguments often heard from those who oppose natural gas pipelines is that “nobody” benefits from the pipeline except the sleazy Big Corporation that builds and profits from it. A single pipeline running through Ohio and Michigan puts that lie to rest. Rover Pipeline, built and operated by Energy Transfer, paid out some $73 million in local property taxes in 2018 when the pipeline first began operation. For 2019, with the full pipeline operating at 100% capacity for the entire year, Rover says they will pay out ~$180 million in property taxes! Taxes that fund schools, roads, first responders and other worthy causes.
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Delayed Michigan Gas-Fired Plant Close to Construction Start

In October 2016, Indeck Energy announced a plan to build a $1 billion electric generating plant (powered by natural gas) in Niles, Michigan, not far from Chicago (see $1B Electric Plant Planned Near Chicago, M-U Connection?). In February 2018, Indeck said construction would begin in summer 2018 (see Indeck to Start Building $1B Gas-Powered Electric Plant in Michigan). Never happened.
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MI NatGas Compressor Stn Fire Leads to GM, Ford Plant Closures

Last week a pipeline at a single Michigan compressor station caught fire and exploded (see Michigan NatGas Compressor Station Catches Fire, Explodes). That single compressor (single point of failure, as it turns out) is responsible for pumping natgas to two-thirds of Michigan residents, including all those big automobile assembly plants Michigan is famous for.
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NEXUS Pipeline Asks FERC for Sept 28 Startup to Flow 967 MMcf/d

At the end of July NEXUS Pipeline was 80% complete and made big boasts that it would be ready to flow during the third quarter of this year (see NEXUS Pipeline Update – Now 80% Complete, on Schedule for 3Q18). By golly, they are true to their word. Earlier this week NEXUS told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) they are ready to go, and asked permission to begin service by September 28, flowing 967 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) along the pipeline that will eventually carry 1.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). The NEXUS Pipeline project is owned by DTE Energy and Spectra Energy (Enbridge). It is a $2 billion, 258-mile interstate pipeline that runs from Columbiana County in eastern Ohio across Ohio to an interconnection with DTE Gas in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Eventually, via the Vector Pipeline, gas from NEXUS will flow to the Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada. Radical environmental groups fought the project tooth and nail. CORN (Coalition to ReRoute Nexus), and the far-left Sierra Club, launched multiple lawsuits and regulatory actions against the pipeline. We’re happy to report they lost. And now NEXUS is ready to flow…
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Enviros Oppose U of Michigan Plan to Use Gas-Fired Electricity

Is there any fixing stupid? We suppose not. So-called environmentalists are opposing a plan by the University of Michigan to update the main campus’ Central Power Plant with a natural-gas fired turbine to produce electricity for the Central and Medical Campus buildings. By doing so, the University will leapfrog to achieving 50% of its goal to reduce so-called greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025 (seven short years from now). Put another way, by building this gas turbine and using the electricity it generates, the University of Michigan will be halfway to their emissions reductions goals. One turbine. Clean natural gas. It’s a win/win all the way around. Yet environuts oppose the plan because it is a “long-term investment in fossil fuels.” Again we ask, is there any fixing stupid?…
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