BY RICK PLUTA
Michigan Public Radio Network
A pair of court rulings allows utilities to build coal-fired power plants in western and northern Michigan.
The Michigan Court of Appeals rejected challenges filed by environmental groups.
The Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council want to reverse permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Quality. They say coal plants should be built using only the cleanest possible technology.
The DEQ said the utilities have shown the plants are needed and comply with state and federal pollution standards, and that's all they have to do. But the plants still may not be built. The DEQ said the new Holland power plant is now being fitted to run on less-expensive natural gas. And Wolverine Power is pursuing a partnership that could make a proposed plant in Rogers City unnecessary.
The Sierra Club has also sued other utilities in Michigan over emissions from existing coal plants.
Copyright 2013, MPRN