On Monday, United States Congressman Jack Bergman visited Wolverine Power Cooperative’s state-of-the-art Alpine Power Plant to tour the facility and learn about the plant’s vital role for Wolverine’s members and Northern Michigan’s grid reliability.
The Alpine Power Plant natural gas facility, completed in 2016, provides more than 400 MW of peaking generation, as well as essential transmission support, for Wolverine’s members and Northern Michigan’s electric grid.
In addition to touring the facility, the Congressman was interested in discussing and learning more about renewable energy, the future of generation, battery storage, net metering, energy markets, as well as high energy prices and lack of adequate transmission in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
As a former pilot, the Congressman also had a keen interest in the operation of the plant’s turbines—which are very similar to jet engines.
Congressman Bergman represents constituents in Michigan’s 1st Congressional district, which is Michigan’s largest—encompassing the entire Upper Peninsula and 16 counties in the northern Lower Peninsula. Congressman Bergman represents more cooperative members than any other Michigan congressman, including members of Great Lakes Energy, Presque Isle Electric & Gas, Cherryland Electric Cooperative, Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Association, Ontonagon REA, and Cloverland Electric Cooperative.
Wolverine is grateful for the opportunity to host Congressman Bergman, and for his interest in learning more about Michigan’s electric cooperatives.