A new footprint for Consumers Energy is coming, via a Clean Energy Plan that Consumers Energy has filed with the State.
The plan is to eventually eliminate coal. “We’ve been burning coal for a long time,” said Senior Public Information Officer Brian Wheeler, “we’re still burning coal, but by 2040 our coal plans in Michigan are going to close down.”
Wheeler laid out the timeline for the closures as well. Bay County area sites will be closing in five years, plants on the west side of the state will close by 2040. He said solar energy will come online across the state to replace the coal firing plants. Wheeler mentioned that new wind farms will be coming online across the state as well. Wheeler credits the reductions in cost and maintenance for the shift to renewable energies.
The Michigan Public Service Commission will still need to approve their plan, which ensures that the plan is consistent with the needs and best interests of the residents serviced by Consumers Energy, and the company’s long-term health.
