Great Lakes Energy Power Plant
On April 5, 1999, Great Lakes Energy held a public meeting and presented the islanders with some options for a long-term solution to the power needs. A simple vote of the choices had the islanders opting for a $4.3 million plan that included new underwater cables, a new power plant and repairs to the existing cable to the mainland. Costs would be paid in part by increasing the electric bills of the islanders and increasing the costs of hook up fees for new users. By the end of the month, the failed cable was repaired and the island was back on mainland power. In early June of 1999, both the St. James Township Board and the Peaine Township Boards approved resolutions supporting the $4.3 million power supply improvement project that had been discussed in early April of that same year and on August 18th three new cables were laid across the bottom of Lake Michigan from Sturgeon Bay Point, north of Cross Village in Emmet County to the harbor on Beaver Island. It took the rest of the year to rebuild about five miles of line from the Cross Village substation to the end of the Sturgeon Bay Drive. On September 6, 1999 the repaired cable again suffered a failure and the brand-new cables were activated to restore power to the island. On September 27, 2000 the new, three megawatt power plant was made available for standby. It's huge generators can easily meet the island's summer peak loads. In fact, the plant has the ability to send power back to the mainland when they are having peak load periods. Great Lakes Energy also provides propane service, long distance telephone service for 6.5 cents per minute, surge protection, a VISA card that offers rebates, controlled electric heating and electric water heating discount programs. Beginning on September 1, 2002, Great Lakes Energy will also provide the island with Internet service. They will offer dial-up, wireless and satellite service to the island for the same rate that Internet customers on the mainland pay. Customers can sign up and cancel at anytime, so if they only want to enroll for the summer they can. If you'd like to enroll call 888-485-2537, ext. 1755. Both monthly and annual plans are available. For more information about this company, please visit Great Lakes Energy.
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