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Author: hannah

TCLP’s Commitment to Support City’s Green Initiative

Written by hannah on . Posted in News.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI. – Traverse City Light and Power (TCL&P) is elated on last week’s announcement that that the City of Traverse City was honored with the Michigan Green Communities Gold Certification, an annual program that serves as a guide to help communities measure progress towards sustainability.

“TCL&P is committed to supporting the City in achieving their 100% renewable energy goal,” said TCL&P Executive Director Brandie Ekren. “Both the City and TCL&P are moving down a path to a more sustainable future.”

To date, TCL&P’s efforts in supporting the City’s green initiative have included:

  • 100% of the revenues generated from the Voluntary Green Pricing (VGP) Program have been set aside for City of Traverse City internal energy efficiency projects.
  • Finding renewable energy sources, such as the Assembly Solar II and M-72 Solar I, whose output has been solely designated towards the City in achieving their 100% renewable energy goal. This equates to 8.6MW of renewable generation.
  • Installation of an EV Charging Station Network throughout the City, which included receipt of a $173,763 grant from EGLE, to help reduce the community’s carbon footprint.

“The efforts of staff, the elected officials and the community towards a clean energy future are coming to fruition, and TCL&P is proud to be a part of it,” said Ekren.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,900 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

Public Hearing – Rate Increase

Written by hannah on . Posted in Events.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P) will hold a public hearing on June 28, 2022 during a TCL&P Board regular meeting regarding a proposed 2.5% overall rate increase effective August 1, 2022 as outlined on the table below.

All customers are invited to attend and provide comment regarding the proposed rate increase during the public hearing.

The TCL&P Board meeting will begin at 5:15 p.m in the Commission Chambers located at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Avenue.

Additional documents detailing the proposed increase can be viewed HERE.

Parsons Road Lane Shift

Written by hannah on . Posted in Projects.

MEDIA RELEASE

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Contact:          Tony Chartrand, Supervisory Engineer         

                        231-932-4562, tchartrand@tclp.org

PARSONS ROAD LANE SHIFT
BETWEEN HASTINGS STREET AND AIRPORT ACCESS

5/31/2022 – 7/31/2022

Traverse City, MI – Motorists and pedestrians please be aware that Traverse City Light & Power’s (TCL&P’s) contractors, Asplundh Tree Expert Co., Thunder Bay Tree Service and Newkirk Electric will be performing work on behalf of TCL&P in preparation for the Barlow to Parsons Transmission Line Upgrade. This work will require a lane shift along Parsons Road between Hastings Street and Airport Access starting on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 through July 31, 2022. Two-way traffic will be maintained.

Appropriate signage and barricades will be in place in and around the work area.

We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. Please contact Tony Chartrand, Supervisory Engineer at 231-932-4562 if you have any questions or concerns about the work or schedule.

Traverse City Light & Power
1131 Hastings Street
Traverse City, MI 49686
24- Hour Dispatch: 231-922-4940
Accounts & Billing: 231-922-4431

Accepting Grant Applications – TCL&P Community Investment Fund

Written by hannah on . Posted in News.

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Contact: Kelli Schroeder, Manager of HR & Communications, 231-932-4545, kschroeder@tclp.org

TRAVERSE CITY, MI.– Traverse City Light and Power (TCL&P) is now accepting Community Investment Fund Grant Applications for the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year.  Applications will be accepted until July 31, 2022.

As a public power utility, TCL&P is committed to investing in the community we serve. The vision of the Community Investment Fund is to enhance the quality of life in the Traverse City area with charitable contributions focused on projects and programs in three key areas: Community Development, Energy-Related Education, and Natural Resources/Environmental.

The requesting organization must reside in the Traverse City area, be non-profit and operate for public purposes. For more information on the Community Investment Fund along with the application and submission requirements. visit “Utility Forms” under “About L&P” at www.tclp.org.

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Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

RFP – Climate Action Plan

Written by hannah on . Posted in RFPs.

June 17, 2022 ADDENDUM: Please click HERE for Addendum #3.

June 13, 2022 ADDENDUM: Please click HERE for Addendum #2.

June 3, 2022 ADDENDUM: Please click HERE for Addendum #1.

Bids are now being accepted for Climate Action Plan.  Please click HERE for the Bid Packet. 

Parsons Road Tree Removal – Transmission Line Upgrade Project

Written by hannah on . Posted in Projects.

Contact:   Tony Chartrand, Supervisory Engineer, 231-932-4562, tchartrand@tclp.org

PARSONS ROAD TREE REMOVAL & TRIMMING
BARLOW TO PARSONS TRANSMISSION LINE UPGRADE PROJECT

Traverse City, MI â€“ As part of Traverse City Light & Power’s (TCL&P) efforts to ensure reliability to our customers, the utility will be upgrading 2.71 miles of transmission line from Barlow to Parsons Road. The reconstruction was requested from both MISO to meet certain capacity contingencies as well as the FAA to correct a clearance condition near the airport.

As part of the project, the utility will be undergrounding facilities along the north side of Parsons. In order to construct the trench and avoid other utilities located in the same location, the utility will need to remove a large number of trees, mainly scotch pine, between the Parsons Road right-of-way and the Oakwood Cemetery fence, from Airport Access Road west for approximately 1,550 feet.

TCL&P’s contractors, Asplundh Tree Expert Co. and Thunder Bay Tree Service, will be performing the tree removal and trimming along the north side of Parsons Road, which is to begin May 31, 2022, and is expected to be complete by June 13, 2022. Following this, TCL&P’s construction contractor, Newkirk Electric, will begin installing the trench.

A significant replanting with colorful native trees and shrubs, such as arborvitae and native bushes, is planned as soon as practicable. This will ensure that the trees will not grow to a height that will impede required FAA runway clearances as well as add some color during the spring and summer to this corridor.

Please use alternate routes avoiding this area to reduce congestion, delay and promote worker safety. Appropriate signage and barricades will be in place in and around the work area.

We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. Please contact Tony Chartrand, Supervisory Engineer at 231-932-4562 if you have any questions or concerns about the work or schedule.

MAP – Impacted Area
Restoration Plans
Board Memo – 5/10/2022

Frequently Asked Questions

Parsons has had multiple projects along and under it in recent years, why didn’t TCL&P bury the line during one of those projects?

This particular line segment was not flagged by MISO (the regional transmission grid operator) as being undersized until 2019. Prior to this, the line was adequately sized and didn’t have to be upgraded. Due to the cost and scope of the project, a multiple year process was undertaken to determine the best route and design of the line as well as budgeting for this large cost.

Why can’t the line be built closer to the road?

Given the depths and separation of the existing utilities along Parsons, there simply isn’t enough space to construct a line between these utilities or the road until the point where the water line crosses the road just west of the hydrant. Trees will not be cut down west of this point.

Why can’t this line be built on the south side of Parsons?

There are many more utilities on the south side of Parsons including high voltage distribution, gas, sewer, and communications. These utilities currently occupy all of the room on the south side of Parsons.

Will this line have to be dug up in the future for further upgrades?

TCL&P is installing an additional set of conduits to allow future expansion as well as oversizing the conduits to allow larger or higher voltage cables to be installed. This will ensure that this line will have a life of 100+ years.

Assembly II Solar Project Commences Commercial Operation

Written by hannah on . Posted in News.

April 7, 2022

E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) in partnership with Ranger Power, a Chicago-based utility-scale solar development company has announced the completion and commercial operation of the Assembly II Solar Project in Shiawassee County. This project, in addition to Assembly Solar I (completed in 2020), makes up the largest installed solar array in Michigan. Traverse City Light and Power (TCL&P) is proud to be a part of the Assembly II Project, which will generate enough energy to power 22,500 Michigan homes each year, according to the project’s developers in a recent press release.

TCL&P works collectively with other municipally owned utilities through the Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA), a not-for-profit joint action agency, to share energy supply and related services to lower costs, reduce risks, and leverage expertise. Through MPPA, TCL&P joins 13 other Michigan communities in this exciting renewable project. “The Assembly Solar Project is part of MPPA’s continued commitment to clean, safe, and affordable energy for the residents and businesses we serve throughout Michigan,” said Patrick Bowland, chief executive officer of MPPA. MPPA, through the support and commitment of its Member communities, has executed approximately $1 billion toward the purchase of renewable energy in the last decade to help its Members achieve their environmental goals.

 â€œTCL&P is pleased to partner with other municipal utilities in Michigan through MPPA to provide our customers with reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible power supply through a diversified portfolio of resources,” said Brandie Ekren, TCL&P Executive Director. “As a Public Power utility, we’re proud to be able to offer our community with rates that are, across Michigan, an average of 25% less than non-community owned utilities. Projects like Assembly Solar help to ensure our services remain affordable.” TCL&P began providing electricity to local residents and businesses 110 years ago and is community-owned and operated.

Michigan Public Power Agency
517-523-8919
www.mpower.org