General Motors and Switch become first participants in Consumers Energy renewables program
Consumers Energy of Michigan has rolled out a new renewable energy source program, and General Motors and Switch have signed up as the first participants.
For renewables, it’s a huge win, as it means two large businesses are up to match 100 percent of their electric use with clean wind energy. To do that, Consumers Energy will match the participants’ energy use at Switch’s Pyramid Campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and General Motors’ Flint Metal Center and Engine Operations, with energy from its Cross Winds Energy Park II. For Consumers Energy, it means a step closer to their energy goals of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent and no longer using coal at all by 2040.
Consumers Energy notes that such efforts help defray costs for other renewable energy sources and, in turn, demonstrate the potential for clean work without losing an edge in a competitive environment.
“Corporations have a leadership opportunity to help accelerate and scale renewable energy, making it more accessible and affordable for everyone,” Dane Parker, General Motors vice president of Sustainable Workplaces, said. “The Consumers Energy program will help General Motors meet its commitment to source 100 percent renewable energy at all global operations by 2050 while reducing emissions in our Michigan communities and making the grid greener.”
This renewable energy program for large businesses, specifically, was approved last year by the Michigan Public Service Commission.
