Residents, Environmental Groups Concerned about Proposed BWL Plant

Plans from the Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) to build a new gas-powered reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) plant in western Lansing are drawing concern from residents and local environmental groups. 

BWL plans to build the plant near its decommissioned Erickson Power Station, on South Canal Road in Lansing. The site used to host a coal-fired boiler, which was shut down in 2022.

The RICE plant will support other energy projects BWL is taking on, such as a planned large battery storage project, solar energy expansions and more wind energy. 

“They are designed to turn on and off quickly producing energy on the spot to support renewable energy production that may ebb and flow when cloud cover occurs, or we experience a drop in wind,” BWL Public Relations Specialist Emma McGlocklin wrote in response to emailed questions from ELi. “They cycle for short periods of time are necessary to ensure grid stability and support the energy provided from intermittent resources like wind and solar.”

There is a need for increased energy production in part because of the large Ultium battery manufacturing facility that is coming to Lansing, McGlocklin said. 

Residents and environmental groups have spoken out against the RICE facility, and wondered if BWL considered alternative, cleaner sources to increase energy production. 

Currently, BWL is seeking an air permit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) for the project. EGLE is accepting public comment on the project until Wednesday, May 14. Information on submitting public comments can be found here. 

While BWL claims the project is part of a larger plan that is a step in the right direction for clean energy production, Capital Area Friends of the Environment Founder Heather Douglas isn’t convinced. 

“Why would you build any fossil fuel plants at this point?” Douglas asked in an interview with ELi. 

Douglas’ main concern is the hundreds of thousands of tons of emissions the plant is projected to give off each year. 

BWL said the projections given are based on an assumption that the plant would be running at all times, which it will not be. BWL says emissions will be lower than the roughly 550,000 tons projected in the permit application, but did not give an estimate of what the actual emissions will be. 

Douglas worries about impacts the plant could have on nearby residents with pre-existing conditions like asthma or cardiovascular issues. When ELi asked BWL if the project may have negative health impacts on nearby residents with pre-existing health conditions, the response did not provide a clear answer.

“BWL has always and will continue to adhere to all state and federal air quality standards,” McGlocklin wrote.

Douglas said she is especially concerned about communities that face health disparities within a few miles of the project. She said the lack of an “environmental justice” policy in Michigan is troubling. 

During a public hearing on the project that EGLE held on May 1, Andrew Sarpolis, a field manager for environmental protection group Sierra Club, asked that EGLE deny BWL a permit. 

“I do so on the grounds of public health and climate change,” Sarpolis said, explaining his position. 

“Health research has shown that some of the current standards for pollutants can still cause serious adverse health effects,” he continued. “Legal compliance is not a scientific health standard.”

East Lansing resident Nichole Biber, who frequently comments on important environmental topics at East Lansing City Council meetings, also took time to explain her opposition to the project at the EGLE hearing. Biber talked about the challenges from moving on from fossil fuel-based energy and how we are “shackled” to a system that harms the environment. 

“It’s mind blowing that there’s a certain amount of poison that is considered ok for our land and water,” Biber said. “It’s really something that we need to move on from.”

Biber said there needs to be increased consideration for cleaner energy sources, and more of an explanation for why energy companies are choosing fossil fuel-based solutions. 

Biber and Douglas were among the many speakers who worried that the RICE plant is a step in the wrong direction as Michigan looks to shift to more renewable and clean energy sources.

McGlocklin said that BWL is aligned with the state’s targets. She said BWL is “on track” to meet the goal of utilities producing 50% of energy through renewable sources by 2030.

Currently, about 27% of BWL’s total electric capacity comes from renewable sources, McGlocklin said.