Ottawa County State Reps. Brad Slagh (R-Zeeland) and Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville) issued the following statement in response to recent protests against the extension of J.H. Campbell plant operations:

“It’s telling that many of the loudest voices opposing the temporary extension of operations at the J.H. Campbell plant are not Ottawa County residents – especially those being amplified by the media. Instead, they’re largely individuals, legislators and organizations from outside our communities, pushing an agenda that does not align with the day-to-day concerns of the people who actually live here.

“The closure of the J.H. Campbell plant—years before the end of its useful life—is unfortunate and unfair to ratepayers. While renewable energy plays an important role in our future, the path to get there must be reliable, affordable, and resilient. The Department of Energy’s temporary order to keep Campbell online this summer is not a partisan gesture—it’s a practical safeguard to ensure our communities have the electricity they need, especially during periods of peak demand.

“Ottawa County residents understand the importance of reliable power for homes, businesses, and public safety. We will continue to stand on the side of common-sense energy policy and against those who would jeopardize our grid’s stability to score political points from afar.”

Earlier this year, Slagh and Meerman joined several of their legislative colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright and U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum outlining serious concerns about Michigan’s energy security. In that letter, they cited findings from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation showing that the MISO-East region—which serves Michigan’s Lower Peninsula—is the highest-risk energy grid in the nation. They also warned that aggressive state-mandated timelines for eliminating baseload generation, including coal, would weaken our grid, raise costs, and increase the risk of blackouts.