Consumers Energy gathering community feedback on 13 Michigan dams

In a series of public meetings stretching from August through October, Consumers Energy intends to gather community opinions about its 13 Michigan dams used as electric generating facilities and develop next steps.

According to Norm Kapala, vice president of generation operations at Consumers, the licenses to operate those dams begin to expire in 12 years. All will expire between 2034 and 2041. These meetings will help the company feel out the pulse of the region and determine whether the water-heavy state desires their use in the long-term — and what that use might look like.

“We do not want to assume we know how individuals and communities feel about our dams as we develop plans to either continue investing in or remove any of our river hydro facilities,” Kapala said. “We are keenly aware dams have great significance for local communities and impact recreation for Michigan residents and visitors statewide. Public input will be an important component in our long-term strategic planning regarding the future of our dams.”

Licenses for these dams are federally granted, and Consumers owns and operates facilities based on those licenses on the Muskegon, Manistee, Grand, Kalamazoo and Au Sable rivers. Meetings on their fate will be run by nonpartisan research and consulting firm Public Sector Consultants (PSC) beginning on Aug. 24, 2022, in Newaygo, Mich. and conclude on Oct. 12 in Hale, Mich. Each meeting will focus on a different dam and be held nearby, and a full list can be found on Consumers’ website.

In addition to the public meetings — which anyone may attend — owners of property adjacent to the dams will begin receiving surveys by mail the week of August 15. Beyond community feedback, the company will also consider regulatory compliance, safety, operating costs and environmental impacts as it makes the final decisions on each dam’s future.