Wolverine President and CEO Eric Baker spoke with the Detroit News about his concerns about electric reliability in Michigan.
Article Summary
Energy providers are concerned about the reliability of energy supply given the switch to intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. “It is a concern and everybody in the Midwest should be aware that there are issues with our grid,” said Presque Isle President and CEO Tom Sobeck. Eric Baker, Senior Vice President at Wolverine Power Cooperative, added, “We’re in a situation now where we have less control over what’s going on in our industry.” Providers are investing millions to upgrade their distribution lines to prevent outages during storms, but the makeup of the grid has changed as weather events have become more severe.
“We’re playing a game of reliability Jenga,” Baker said. “Now we’re starting to tug on the very bottom blocks and the more blocks you pull out, the more unstable the tower is and the easier it is to have the whole thing come down. And I think it’s absolutely preventable.”
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