2 new power plants to be built in U.P.

LANSING - Get ready to build two new power plants in the Upper Peninsula.

The Michigan Public Service Commission on Oct. 25 approved the certificate of necessity filed earlier this year by the Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. (UMERC) The group plans to build a pair of natural gas fired plants outputting a total of 180 megawatts of electricity, one in Negaunee Twp. and a smaller plant in Baraga Twp. to serve the Tilden Mine.

The total cost to build both facilities will be about $270 million. The plants are expected to be in service in 2019. UMERC says the new plants will allow for the retirement of the 359-megawatt coal-fueled Presque Isle Power Plant no later than 2020.

"The project is good for our customers, good for businesses and good for the future of electric reliability throughout the U.P," said J. Patrick Keyes, president of the Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. "The solution will deliver customer savings of nearly $600 million over the next 30 years and contribute to a cleaner environment."

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement that the decision was “the result of years of work to find a solution that put Michiganders in charge of Michigan's energy future. Upper Peninsula residents can now move forward with a solution that allows them to control more of what happens with their energy supply.”

Need insurance? Join a union 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Oct. 6 revealed that nearly every union member in the country, 94 percent, had access to employer-provided medical benefits as of March 2017, compared to 67 percent of nonunion workers.

Having access to the insurance, the BLS said, means employers offered the benefit, regardless of whether employees chose to participate. The numbers results in a take-up rate—the percentage of workers with access to a plan who participate in the plan—of 81 percent for union workers and 72 percent for nonunion workers.

The data comes from the National Compensation Survey - Benefits Program and refer to civilian workers.  It shows that income levels matter in terms of employee participation in health care insurance plans. The data shows that 23 percent of workers in the lowest 25 percent of wage levels and 73 percent of workers in the highest 25 percent of wage levels participated in an employer-provided medical care plan.

State redistricting petition moves fast

Perhaps one of the greatest causes of the political divide in this country - brought on by the creative redrawing of district lines every 10 years to keep incumbent lawmakers and political parties in power - may soon be getting a healthy infusion of  public input.

Voters Not Politicians, a nonpartisan grassroots group, has been collecting petition signatures this year, seeking to place on a statewide ballot a new method for approving how new district lines are drawn.

It looks like the group is on track to turn in enough petition signatures that would put a ballot proposal before the state's voters, which would take redistricting out of the hands of the Michigan Legislature and give the responsibility to an independent 13-member commission organized under the Secretary of State's office.

The commission would be comprised of four Republicans, four Democrats, and five independent members who affiliate with no party or a third-party.

"Michigan is one of 37 states that gives all of this power to the state legislature," VNP says. "In order for final maps to pass, a simple majority of each chamber of the state legislature must vote yes. The governor has the power to veto the redistricting plan. However, when one party controls each of these areas, they effectively have full control over the redistricting process with zero input from other parties."

VNP President Katie Fahey said last month that about 3,500 volunteers have gathered 300,000 signatures since Aug. 17, a very fast collection rate, and they are now only 100,000 short of their 400,000 goal. Their 180-deadline to collect the signatures is in mid-February. The proposal needs 315,654 valid signatures to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.