Intended to produce up to 1,100 megawatts of electricity, the plant would also generate jobs and tax revenue for the beleaguered town.
Local officials insist that most citizens support the plan.
But critics vow to stop the stacks in a frustrating replay of the siting hurtles that have left Michigan and other states short of power. Local scuttlebutt even has it that the plant would destroy every blade of grass and tree leaf in Niles within five years. As for the voluminous regulations governing every aspect of plant operations, the government evidently can't be trusted to ensure compliance. Blocking plant construction requires little more than instigating delay. Every study demanded, every hearing conducted, every month that a company can't sell power translates into lost revenues.