Cloverland Electric: Wisconsin Energy is ‘Double Dipping’
MARQUETTE — An Upper Peninsula Electric Co-Op is accusing an electric company of over collecting.
Cloverland Electric Cooperative released a statement Thursday night saying that Wisconsin Energy, the company that currently owns the Presque Isle Power Plant, is collecting a profit from both the Tilden and Empire Mines and from a System Support Resource Agreement. The SSR agreement was put in place by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to keep the Power Plant running.
The Presque Isle Power Plant is currently in the process of being sold to the Upper Peninsula Power Co. (UPPCO). The sale is expected to be completed later this year.
Wisconsin Energy announced that it was going to close the Presque Isle Power Plant in 2014 after losing the mines as its customers in 2013. MISO prevented Wisconsin Energy from shutting down the Power Plant because of the electric reliability concerns it would create in the U.P.
According to Cloverland Electric, its customers could be paying $2.3 million a month until the sale of the Power Plant is completed.