Cross Winds Energy Park Phase III now producing 76 MW for Michigan consumers

The Cross Winds Energy Park Phase III, owned and operated by Consumers Energy, began producing power in Tuscola County, Mich., this week, bringing 76 megawatts of renewable power capacity to the region.

Phase III brought in 33 turbines as the final phase of the wind park project, which brought together 114 total wind turbines and a combined capacity of 231 MW since December 2014. In all, experts say that capacity is enough to provide power for around 90,000 residents and equivalent to taking more than 179,000 cars off the road.

“Each spinning wind turbine producing sustainable, renewable energy breathes life into our Clean Energy Plan, a commitment we’ve made to our Michigan friends and neighbors to eliminate coal, cut harmful emissions and help greatly improve the quality of our state’s water and air,” Dennis Dobbs, vice president of enterprise project management, engineering and services for Consumers Energy, said. “Thanks go to the people of Columbia and Akron townships who welcomed us into their community. We are looking forward to being a good neighbor in the community for the long term.”

While 250 workers were employed throughout the $150 million Phase III, five full-time staff will remain to operate that segment of the park. In all, Cross Winds has 16 full-time employees on staff.

Cross Winds is a step forward on Consumers Energy’s larger Clean Energy Plan. That plan calls for reaching 90 percent clean energy-provided customer electricity capacity by 2040 and eliminating coal as a fuel resource entirely. By the end, the company hopes to cut carbon emissions by 90 percent.