Consumers Energy to add 375 MW of solar energy with three new Michigan projects

Consumers Energy announced plans last week to add three solar projects to its southern central Michigan operations in 2023, which will add 375 MW to its portfolio and aid its plans to eliminate coal as a fuel source by 2025.

Though the plans are pending approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), if approved, they would consist of one facility owned and operated by Consumers, while the other two would include solar power purchased from other sources. For the former, Invenergy is currently developing a 150 MW effort known as the Washtenaw Solar Energy Project near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Once complete, Consumers would take ownership.

The purchased power would stem from Jackson Solar and Cereal City Solar, projects developed by National Grid Renewables and NextEra, respectively. Under plans as proposed, Consumers would purchase power from these facilities for 20 years and 25 years.

“Increasing clean energy for our customers shows our commitment to being a force of change for clean energy that benefits the people of Michigan and protects our planet,” Dennis Dobbs, Consumers Energy’s vice president of enterprise project management and environmental services, said. “Our partners in these projects are helping us transform the energy landscape and create a cleaner energy future for generations to come.”

The projects will provide enough energy to power nearly 190,000 homes, but Consumers also sees them as major progress to its net zero carbon emissions goal currently set for 2040. Consumers has proposed adding a total of 8,000 MW of utility-scale solar power by 2040 under its Clean Energy Plan. A competitive bidding process is guiding this forward.