Consumers Energy begins construction of $10.1 million Flint natural gas training facility

Groundbreaking began on a new natural gas training facility for the employees of Consumers Energy last week, setting the scene for a $10.1 million development in Flint, Michigan.

The center will be named Flint Gas City and will be charged with training the more than 1,500 company employees responsible for building, maintaining and operating Consumers’ natural gas infrastructure. Accordingly, it will provide learning environments for situations such as gas leaks, service hook-ups, utility locating, leak detection and corrosion monitoring, as well as a command and control center for instructors. It is being developed collaboratively with the Michigan State Utility Workers Council.

“Flint Gas City is a breakthrough initiative that directly impacts our goal to provide world-class performance and deliver hometown service,” Tonya Berry, vice president of Gas Operations at Consumers Energy, said. “This facility, along with our training team, will provide the best possible preparation for our current and future workforce.”

When finished, the facility will encompass 1.4 acres. On site will be a mock neighborhood of mini-homes and businesses — complete with pipelines and meters — along with an outdoor space for heavy equipment use and for fighting natural gas fires in a controlled area. Local first responders will also be able to use these environments for training on natural gas safety.

“This new state-of-the-art training center will build on our safety culture and commitment by providing an immersive experience with the equipment, scenarios and environments our natural gas workers deal with every day,” Craig Wright, president of the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, said.

The facility is expected to be in operation as of winter 2022.