NEWS RELEASE

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
May 16, 2003

Lee M. Baatz Assistant. V.P. – Rates
906-632-5170

Edison Sault Electric Company and Cloverland Electric Cooperative terminated the power supply alert for the Upper Peninsula that had been issued earlier. The power supply alert had been issued on May 16th following flooding in Marquette, Michigan which forced the Presque Isle Power Plant and all of its nine generating units to shut down.

Five of the generating units at Presque Isle have since been returned to service, providing sufficient power for the normal electrical needs of customers in the Upper Peninsula. During the power alert, the utilities serving the U. P. took immediate action to prevent a system-wide collapse and electrical blackout. Emergency actions taken by the utilities included curtailment of load, public appeals for conservation, the running of diesel units, the maximum operation of hydro facilities, the installation of temporary diesel generating units and the start-up of mothballed generation.

During the power emergency, Edison Sault contacted the U. S. Corp of Engineers and received authorization to operate its hydro plant at full capacity. Don Sawruk, President of Edison Sault, applauded the quick response and actions of the Corps of Engineers and the International Lake Superior Board of Control which authorized Edison Sault to operate its hydro plant at peak output.

Sawruk and Don Wozniak, Manager of Cloverland Electric Cooperative, thanked their customers for their conservation efforts during the power alert. Sawruk and Wozniak also complimented their employees for the extra duties during the power emergency. “We ran our diesel generating units longer and harder than they had been run in quite a few years,” said Mr. Wozniak. “We appreciate the long hours put in by our diesel operators. They were running the units at long stretches in the middle of the night to help keep the electrical system intact.”

Edison Sault had also installed temporary generators at its Glen Jenks substation near Manistique, and the temporary generators have now been disconnected from its system. “For about a month the electric system in the Upper Peninsula was stable, but operating in a very fragile condition,” said Mr. Sawruk. “We were fortunate that this event happened in the spring, and not at times of heavy heating or air conditioning loads,” said Sawruk. “We are glad that this power alert is over.”

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Last modified: June 19, 2003