When the Traverse City Light & Power board meets Wednesday to talk about the future — a much-needed exercise at a crucial time — one of the first things it should do is drop for now any thoughts of creating another high-level, high-paid executive position.
Soon after shelving a plan for a $30 million biomass electric generation plant and just as petitions calling for the city-owned utility to be folded back into city government were being circulated, Light & Power said it wanted to hire a "generation project manager" at a salary of $65,000 to $80,000 a year.
That was hardly what residents and ratepayers expected or wanted to hear. Instead of plans to increase the payroll, what must come first is a review of what happened over the past few months (why the biomass plan ran into such opposition; why Light & Power failed to adequately answer basic questions) and then the Big Issue: What's next? What alternatives does Light & Power now have for meeting a state mandate of creating at least 10 percent of its base power from renewable sources by 2020?
Clearly, area residents have real concerns about the kinds of generation technologies that might be brought into play here. Comments made during the months-long biomass debate showed residents are looking for ways to mold technology to the place — wind, solar, natural gas and even hydro — instead of forcing the place to accept the technology.
Even biomass could or should be part of the mix as long as basic questions are answered. "Trust us" won't work.
People here value their views, forests, rivers and lakes and right now, a power plant ranks pretty low on the priority list.
That has to change. Light & Power has to not only meet the mandate but also find a new source of power to make up for downstate power plants that will be going offline in a few years. Buying power from other coal-fired plants may remain an option, but the cost — in both electric rates and long-term environmental damage — will be high.
A recent Michigan Land Use Institute op-ed outlined what the group calls "20-20 by 2020: A Clear Vision for Clean Energy Prosperity," a melding of technologies and policies aimed at reducing power usage and creating our own in acceptable ways. That's just one option but it's the kind of multi-dimensional planning we need.
Light & Power must seriously consider getting into alternate technology in a big way, and soon. In-depth reports sponsored by the state say the potential for Lake Michigan wind power is massive; that must be an option.
During the clear-cutting boom of the late 1800s, when most of the trees in northern Michigan were cut down, we learned that being a good steward for a beautiful and delicate ecosystem means making smart choices that put the place first.
That's certainly the case now.
Answers won't be easy to come by, but they have to be found.
Light & Power officials are hoping for plenty of public participation at Wednesday's strategic planning discussion. It will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Light & Power's service center at 1131 Hastings Street.
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