MPSC Wraps Up Consumers Energy Fire Investigation

MACOMB COUNTY, MI — Grounding interference on an electrical system caused a fire at Consumers Energy's Ray Natural Gas Compressor Station in Macomb County that lead to a statewide energy emergency during the polar vortex, according to an investigation conducted by the Michigan Public Service Commission.

The commission announced Friday that the root cause of the Ray fire was grounding interference on the electrical system of the facility, which led to automated “blowdown” procedures in which natural gas is released to the atmosphere to protect worker and public safety. Combined with record-low temperatures and high winds blanketing the state, the natural gas did not disperse as it typically would and came into contact with nearby plant equipment that operates at a high temperature, igniting the airborne gas and causing the fire.

The fire, which took place in January 2019, led officials to ask people to turn down their thermostats amid concerns about keeping natural gas flowing to millions of residents in bitterly cold weather, the Detroit Free Press reported shortly after the incident.

The commission identified a violation of federal safety standards during emergency shut down of a compressor station because the discharged gas created a hazard. In April, the commission and Consumers Energy resolved an enforcement action associated with this alleged violation, with the company agreeing to pay a $10,000 fine. The penalty was the maximum amount allowed by law, according to a news release issued Friday by the commission.

The design of the Ray facility has been modified as part of the repairs made at the plant to bring it back into service. Although other compressor stations do not present the same risk of a fire due to design differences, the order requires Consumers Energy to submit its final systemwide evaluation of blowdown systems by June 1 to document mitigation of any existing risks on the system.