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Consumers Energy announced today that they will close West Olive, 15 years sooner then previously expected. Closing by 2025. Not good for CSX in West Michigan to say the least.

That's excellent news. Glad to see Consumers Energy stating that they are looking to install 8GW of solar by 2040.
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/n ... 320733001/

When solar gets covered by ice and snow power output drops, then you will look like Texas last winter

Solar panels can be fitted with systems that melt the snow/ice off of them. Texas mainly lost power due to gas and geothermal plants that weren't fitted to handle cold temps, not due to solar/wind.
We can have solar/wind/geothermal/nuclear/hydro/storage to power the US without all the pollution from coal/gas/oil.

This would be a great chance for CP to take back their line. CSX would only have two daily trains (not counting Amtrak and the local) when the plant closes.

GDLK FAN wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:05 pm

This would be a great chance for CP to take back their line. CSX would only have two daily trains (not counting Amtrak and the local) when the plant closes.

Even allowing for hyperbole it was never CP's line.

Closing a perfectly good power plant, meeting the AQ standards, will hurt a lot of rail and power plant jobs, as well as rail service in WM. Wind does not do well on hot, windless days, when the demand is high.

DaveO wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:47 pm

GDLK FAN wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:05 pm

This would be a great chance for CP to take back their line. CSX would only have two daily trains (not counting Amtrak and the local) when the plant closes.

Even allowing for hyperbole it was never CP's line.

Very true. Also why would the CP want it? A railroad with short sidings, little online business, and depends on trackage rights to get into Chicago. It would also probably require trackage rights into Detroit, as a sale would be to Plymouth only. Sounds great! Short line or no change.

Doktor No wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:19 pm

Consumers Energy announced today that they will close West Olive, 15 years sooner then previously expected. Closing by 2025. Not good for CSX in West Michigan to say the least.

Can't say I saw that one coming. That's an aggressive timeline.

I don't mind the retirement of polluting power stations, but they need to make sure we still have enough generation capacity. More capacity is leaving the grid than joining it as of late, which leaves less and less margin for problems. I'm all for cleaner generation, but we need to make sure we aren't jeopardizing our fundamental need for reliable power in aggressive pursuit of these goals.

As for the CSX, it is definitely a blow to the local area. Not only does it potentially impact their desire to keep the line in the first place, but there are a lot of railroaders employed currently to move those trains. Hopefully it is well-managed and nobody at CSX loses their job for want of work in a few years.

Consumers: "We will be closing our plant in 2025"
CSX: "hmmmm"
LSRC: (lurking in the shadows) "excellent"

1TrackMind wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:58 am

Consumers: "We will be closing our plant in 2025"
CSX: "hmmmm"
LSRC: (lurking in the shadows) "excellent"

You know, back in the day I always thought "Lake State Railroad" was a perhaps oversized name for a shortline running to Gaylord, Alpena and a bit around Saginaw. Boy they sure have been expanding to fill their name!

This is how Consumers Energy is paying for it:

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 591858002/

1TrackMind wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 2:58 am

Consumers: "We will be closing our plant in 2025"
CSX: "hmmmm"
LSRC: (lurking in the shadows) "excellent"

Also (PH&D):

DTE: "We will be closing our plant in 2022"
CSX: "hmmmm"
LSRC: (lurking in the shadows) "excellent"

It sounds like that will actually happen, especially after losing Domtar.

Henry F. Burger wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:05 pm

When solar gets covered by ice and snow power output drops, then you will look like Texas last winter

No, the real problem is that the Texas grid is connected to nothing. If you are connected into the US grid, you are under Federal regulation. Texas thinks themselves above Federal regulation. So there are three grids in the US: East, West, and Texas.

When the bad weather hit, and demand exceeded capacity, they couldn’t buy power from outside the state because they are not connected.

The solar panel thing is a red herring.

Plannerdad wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:55 pm

Closing a perfectly good power plant, meeting the AQ standards, will hurt a lot of rail and power plant jobs, as well as rail service in WM. Wind does not do well on hot, windless days, when the demand is high.

I suspect that the planners at Consumers have access to just a bit more info than we do, and if they felt like this wasn't feasible and profitable, they wouldn't do it. This is a voluntary move years earlier than any governmental body is requiring.

Steve B wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 10:26 am

Plannerdad wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:55 pm

Closing a perfectly good power plant, meeting the AQ standards, will hurt a lot of rail and power plant jobs, as well as rail service in WM. Wind does not do well on hot, windless days, when the demand is high.

I suspect that the planners at Consumers have access to just a bit more info than we do, and if they felt like this wasn't feasible and profitable, they wouldn't do it. This is a voluntary move years earlier than any governmental body is requiring.

Right, somebody somewhere counted some beans and said “well boys we can get rid of West Olive early, save x amount and look good doing it”.

Consumers was talking about closing the Campbell plant early back in 2019. Natural gas is cheaper with less social/political pressure. Renewable with it's limitations increases in capacity every year. Peak demand rates for residential users are being implemented.

...and now the unthinkable seems possible CSX unloading the Pere Marquette mainline.

Consumers Energy: *Closes West Olive In 2025 and demolishes facility*
LSRC: *sees empty land* It's free real estate

pog

The power plant site is on lakefront land and is worth tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Probably going to high end condo/marina development. As for the rest? LSRC doesn't have the financial wherewithal to do much of anything. CSX will need hundreds of millions of dinero for the lines.
CP would be more logical but logic has nothing to do with much anymore.

Coal fired power plants can leave behind stuff that makes residential use ill-advised.