The predicted long, hot summer never materialized for Michigan this year, so record high demand for electricity to power the state's air conditioners never happened, either.

The cooler weather made the last few months a lot easier for the utilities, which rarely had to scramble in the Midwest to fill demand for electricity. Ever-higher electrical usage and a lack of power plants have been a major concern for utilities across the Midwest.

By next June, significantly more electrical production will be put on line, when construction of the new $300 million Dearborn Industrial Generation powerhouse fires up. On Aug. 10, a milestone passed at the plant when iron workers topped out the structure across from the Ford-Rouge Complex.

The 710-megawatt, natural-gas fired plant will replace the old Ford-Rouge powerhouse, which was destroyed after a tragic explosion and fire in February 1999. The plant, jointly owned by CMS Energy and Detroit Edison, will supply the steam and electrical requirements of the 1,100-acre Rouge Complex, which includes Ford Motor Co. operations and Rouge Steel. Excess energy will be sold to wholesale power markets. Since the explosion, those operations have relied on Detroit Edison Co. for power, placing an added strain on the utility.

The new plant is expected to burn more than 20 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually. "Dearborn Industrial Generation will offer competitively-priced, reliable electricity to serve industrial customers and other end users," said William J. Haener, vice president of CMS Energy's development activities in North America.

The project is being managed by Fluor Constructors, and more than 400 construction workers are employed on the project.

A TORQUE limiter is adjusted in the powerhouse by Andre Hayes of IBEW 58.

IRON WORKERS topped out the $300 million Dearborn Industrial Generation Powerhouse last month.