JACKSON, Mich., June 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers
Energy today announced it is seizing a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to reshape Michigan's
energy future with a plan that embodies its Triple Bottom Line
commitment to people, the planet and prosperity.
The company will file an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) this
week with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) that
outlines the path to using zero coal while ensuring affordable and
reliable energy for Michigan's
families and businesses. The IRP details how the company will meet
the state's energy needs with increased use of energy efficiency
and other customer demand management programs and significantly
more renewable energy.
Under the plan, the company would increase renewable energy from
11 percent today to 37 percent by 2030 and 43 percent by 2040 –
helping the company achieve its clean energy breakthrough goal,
announced earlier this year, to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent
and eliminate the use of coal to generate electricity by
2040. The proposed strategy also includes retiring two aging,
coal-fired units at the Karn Generating Complex near Bay City in 2023.
In-depth modeling analysis showed higher levels of energy
efficiency and demand management programs and renewable energy are
the best and most affordable way to meet customers' needs in the
future.
Under the IRP, demand response, energy efficiency, and grid
modernization tools would take on more significant roles. These
virtual "power plants" will help customers save money on their
energy bills and reduce energy demand 22 percent by 2040. Consumers
Energy also would add 5,000 megawatts of solar energy throughout
the 2020s, along with wind and battery storage.
"Our vision considers people, the planet and the prosperity of
our state and the communities we serve. This IRP will help guide
key decisions in the coming years to make us a cleaner, leaner
company for the Great Lakes State," said Patti Poppe, President and CEO of Consumers
Energy and CMS Energy. "This is a pivotal moment in our company's
long, proud history — and this plan charts a course for us all to
embrace the opportunities and meet the challenges of a new
era."
Over the last 18 months, Consumers Energy developed the IRP by
gathering input from a diverse group of customers and key
stakeholders — including a series of public forums — to build a
deeper understanding of shared goals. The company then modeled
future scenarios using a variety of assumptions about factors such
as market prices, energy demand and levels of clean energy
resources, including demand response and energy efficiency, wind
and solar.
Karn units 1 and 2, located in Hampton
Township near Bay City,
came online in 1959 and 1961, respectively, and are capable of
generating 515 megawatts of electricity. The retirement of Karn 1
and 2 continues a move away from coal as a generation fuel source
that began in April 2016 with
retirement of our "Classic Seven" units located at the former
Whiting, Cobb and Weadock sites.
"We're grateful for the power the Karn coal units have provided
for Michigan over the decades and
proud of our co-workers who've operated and maintained them so
faithfully. The company will be working actively to care for our
co-workers through this transition," Poppe said. "We plan to
support Hampton Township and the
Bay region as they re-imagine the local economic landscape after
these units are retired."
Consumers Energy, Michigan's
largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy
(NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7
million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties.
Fast Facts:
- Karn 1 and 2 would be retired in 2023
- 37 percent renewable energy by 2030
- 43 percent renewable energy by 2040
- Significant investments in solar and increased use of energy
efficiency and customer demand management programs.
LEARN MORE: See more information about Consumers Energy's
Integrated Resource Plan at: www.ConsumersEnergy.com.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
www.ConsumersEnergy.com.
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SOURCE Consumers Energy