Are submarine cables through Lake Michigan the best way to help Michigan go green?

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The MI Healthy Climate Plan calls for the state to become carbon neutral by 2050. A big process to meeting that goal is weaning off of fossil fuels and switching to renewable sources. One local group has a big plan to help the state get there.

The Wolverine Power Collective calls it the “Lake Michigan Connector” — a “superhighway” of electric cable across the Lake that would allow power generated in the Upper Midwest to be used in Michigan.

Company officials argue energy bills could skyrocket and blackouts could become more common if Michigan’s electric grid doesn’t adapt, become more flexible and create more pathways to import electricity.

The “Connector” would essentially be a giant underwater power line. The high-voltage direct current line could deliver enough electricity to power nearly 2 million homes. And unlike wind turbines or solar panels, which some people consider eyesores, the line would be safely hidden along the lakebed of Lake Michigan.

Eric Baker is the president and CEO of WPC. As beautiful as Michigan’s landscape may be, Baker says it poses some natural restrictions when it comes to infrastructure.

“All of our transmission needs right now largely goes through the southern borders, particularly around Chicago,” Baker told News 8. “Our idea with the ‘Connector’ is really quite simple, which is to create a shorter distance path that more closely connects the electric demands of Michigan with assets in the Upper Midwest, particularly renewable assets.”

According to Baker, the transition to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power present two big challenges in Michigan.

“No. 1 is they’re not available all the time. Wind is about 40% to 50% available, and solar is only about 20% available in Michigan,” Baker said. “Second, the location of the new renewable assets are not where traditional electric loads were. They are not near industrial load centers; they tend to be in more rural areas. So not only are we asking the grid to do different things in the future, we are asking it to move power in different directions than it was originally designed for.”

Michigan already imports electricity. According to WPC, the state requires power drawn from Indiana and Ohio corridors almost 90% of the time. A project like the Lake Michigan Connector would allow Michigan to tap into other markets — easing the burden of drawing from Chicago-based networks, lowering the risk of blackouts and likely even lowering costs.

Water and electricity don’t mix, but WPC experts say there are no safety issues.

“(Submarine cables) are safe due to robust insulation and shielding,” a company official told News 8. “(They) pose no significant threat to human or marine life. In the unlikely event the cable is damaged, protective systems are in place to quickly de-energize the line.”

WPC wouldn’t be the first company to utilize submarine cables. The technology is already used across the world, including elsewhere in Michigan. High-voltage direct current systems are already in use in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and several other countries, and many more are in the works. In Michigan, Beaver Island gets its electricity through a submarine cable, though that one uses an alternating current because of the shorter distance.

According to a 2015 report published by researchers for the European Union, the first HVDC submarine cable was built and laid down in 1954 in Sweden to connect an island to the mainland’s infrastructure.

Repairs are required from time to time, whether due to external tears in the cable or internal faults. Most commercial HVDC submarine cables are “guaranteed” up to 25 years, but typical HVDC systems are designed for cables to last between 30 and 40 years.

Accidents do happen and can cause temporary outages. EU researchers found that more than 90% of all accidents involving submarine cables are caused by humans, notably anchor strikes or equipment used by commercial anglers. Natural causes are responsible for less than 10% of all accidents, usually shifts along the seabed or abrasion caused by wave action in shallower waters.

Currently, there are two proposals for the Lake Michigan Connector. One option is for the line to run from Green Bay to Ludington. The other is to run from the Milwaukee metro area to Port Sheldon.

MISO, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator , is still working through the approval process for the Connector. Baker says MISO has just approved a second round of projects to update its electric grid, which stretches from the Upper Midwest to Louisiana. The Lake Michigan Connector was not included, but WPC plans to pitch it again for the next round of projects.

“We believe in this project and will continue to advance it,” he said.

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