If you’ve been near the BWL’s Erickson Power Plant in Delta Township lately, you know some big things are going on.

The plant is undergoing a massive improvement project aimed at meeting strict new nitrogen oxide (Nox) emission standards that take effect later this year. The station was taken off-line in early February for its regular 18-month maintenance outage. But this time, the outage is anything but routine. In addition to normal preventive maintenance activities, we’re investing $26 million in improvements that will result in cleaner and more efficient operations at Erickson. Remarkably, these improvements are being installed in about a 60-day time period.

Preparing for and implementing the environmental improvement project has been an exercise in logistics. Normally, Erickson is staffed by only a handful of employees. But in the months leading up to the outage, more than 100 additional workers were at the plant, pouring footings, removing floors and making things ready. Now that the actual project is underway, 200 or more workers are swarming over the site.

All this activity is aimed at bringing Erickson back on-line in early April, ready to meet increased demands for electricity as spring weather arrives.

The $26 million environmental improvement project is being financed by revenue bonds sold in 2002. It’s by far the biggest project at Erickson since the plant was built some 30 years ago at a cost of $34 million.

With spring just a stone’s throw away, it’s time to start turning our attention to outdoor activities.

 To us, that means another Adopt A River cleanup is nearing. That’s the day when hundreds of hearty volunteers gather in downtown Lansing to help clean the banks of the Grand and Red Cedar Rivers. Our cleanup date this spring is Saturday, April 24.

 Registration takes place at 8 a.m. under the Shiawassee Street Bridge behind the Lansing City Market. Volunteers will spend a few hours cleaning up their assigned areas and then return to registration headquarters for fun, education and food. Among other things, our post-cleanup activities this year will include wildlife exhibits, environmental demonstrations and a silent auction, along with a free picnic lunch.

 For more information about Adopt A River, click here. You can sign up for this spring’s cleanup by calling the Ingham Conservation District at 676-2290.

March is Red Cross Month. You can support your Red Cross with your gift of time, money or blood. The need is real. The time is now.

To visit the Red Cross Web site, click here, or call them at 517-484-7461, extension 125.

The buzz is already beginning for this year’s Common Ground Festival, Lansing’s premier outdoor music festival.

We’re proud to be Common Ground’s official electricity provider for this year’s event, held in downtown Lansing July 5 through July 11. Seven-day Common Card passes are available in advance for just $75 through June, a $10 discount from passes purchased after June 30. Single day tickets are $22 in advance and $28 on the day of the show.

Tickets are available at all Tickets Plus outlets, which include Meijer locations, or click here. You can also order tickets by phone at 1-800-585-3737 or get them in person at the Common Ground office located inside the Lansing City Market.

BWL customers can get a jump on buying tickets to individual Lugnuts games again this year.

To cash in on this offer, stop by Oldsmobile Park beginning March 15 and show them this newsletter. Or you can call the Lugnuts ticket office at 485-4500 and give them the last three digits of your BWL account number. As an added incentive, for each ticket ordered between March 15 and March 31, your name will be entered in a drawing to win one of five autographed baseballs or the grand prize: a night for four in the Lugnuts owner’s seats! Prizes will be awarded in April. If you have questions, please contact the Lugnuts office at the above number, and remember to “go nuts” this season.