Wolverine Power Cooperative is planning a natural gas-fired electric generating facility in Elmira Township near the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, the company said.

The Alpine Power Plant would be built on a 170-acre site chosen, in part, because of its proximity to existing interstate gas pipelines and high-voltage electric transmission lines, the not-for-profit electric cooperative said. The project would cost an estimated $100 million.

“Our Alpine Power Plant will provide a nice balance to Wolverine’s existing power supply portfolio, while at the same time increasing electrical reliability in Northern Michigan and complementing the ever-increasing amount of renewable energy in Michigan,” a Wolverine spokesman said.

The Cadillac, MI-based cooperative intends to present its plans to the Elmira Township Planning Commission and the Otsego County Planning Commission within the next month, and will also submit an application for an air quality permit to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Wolverine owns and operates six electric generating facilities capable of generating about 565 MW that are primarily used for peaking capacity. The company also owns and operates an extensive electric transmission network in the western and northern portions of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Wolverine provides wholesale power to Cherryland Electric Cooperative, Great Lakes Energy, HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Midwest Energy Cooperative, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, Spartan Renewable Energy and Wolverine Power Marketing Cooperative.