Displaying items by tag: Consumers Energy

Michigan’s largest utilities are giving a substantial boost to an economic development program launched by former Gov. Rick Snyder, committing to spend billions of additional dollars with in-state suppliers over the next five years.

MUSKEGON — City leaders continue to explore ways to move Muskegon’s retail sector forward by enhancing business districts outside of the downtown core.

MARNE – Metal fabricator DeWys Manufacturing Inc. will invest nearly $7 million over three years in a 30,000-square-foot expansion to its existing facility in Wright Township.

The closure date of a large coal plant along the Lake Michigan shoreline could be moved up under a proposed settlement agreement between Consumers Energy and multiple environmental and energy groups. In late March, the Jackson-based utility announced it had reached a deal with groups over its long-term energy plan, which includes closing all of its coal units and building out thousands of megawatts of solar energy by 2040.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed former state representative and clean energy advocate Dan Scripps to the Michigan Public Service Commission on Feb. 8, filling a key vacancy as the administration brings a heightened focus to renewable energy and climate change.

The Michigan Public Service Commission has started what could be a two-year process to govern how renewable energy projects are connected to the electric grid. The plan to make new interconnection rules seeks to resolve an unprecedented backlog of requests from independent power producers to build solar projects at a time when utility customers increasingly are turning to solar for self-generation.

It’s been two years since the Legislature passed sweeping energy reform bills, yet the laws remain front and center for those working behind the scenes on energy policy.

Planning for a more electrified transportation future gained steam in Michigan this year with multiple spending plans totaling $85 million, as well as a series of in-depth policy discussions among a cross-section of stakeholders.

DETROIT — With just days to go before a “divisive” election, the state’s business roundtable sought to stay out of politics and instead focus on Michigan’s future growth opportunities during its annual conference.

As Switch Ltd. planned a new data center in Gaines Township outside Grand Rapids three years ago, the company considered it critical that Consumers Energy could power the facility entirely with renewable energy.

For many small business owners, the idea of trying to manage energy usage and utility relationships can be a bit overwhelming. Would energy efficiency upgrades really impact a bottom line? Who can assist when there are outage issues? Is the price being paid for service at the correct rate?

Consumers Energy plans a major shift to solar energy over the next two decades, but the extent to which the Jackson-based utility will rely on third-party developers eager to build projects in Michigan remains unclear. 

Michigan’s largest energy provider has inked a new deal with data center operator Switch Ltd. at its facility in Gaines Township in southern Kent County.

Jackson-based energy provider Consumers Energy plans to build a six-story, $20 million regional headquarters on Grand Rapids’ west side.

While closing coal-fired power plants is often lauded for improving air quality, it’s also saving billions of gallons of water a year from being withdrawn from the Great Lakes and local resources.

Similar to the city that borders its shores, Muskegon Lake’s progress has experienced setbacks and successes, with many different groups working behind the scenes to position the lake as an attractive place to live, work and play.

Utility customers across the state could be refunded hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the federal tax overhaul that passed in December, reducing the corporate income tax rate.

A group of independent power producers are vowing to appeal a recent Michigan Public Service Commission ruling affecting how their facilities are compensated by Consumers Energy for the electricity they produce.

COVERT — Officials in Van Buren County felt a sense of relief last month when one of its largest employers and sources of tax revenue pledged to stay in the community for four more years.

FREMONT — A shuttered waste-to-energy power plant in Newaygo County has reopened under new owners and management after abruptly closing two years ago.

An ongoing case before the Michigan Public Service Commission over maintaining adequate electricity supplies into the future is prompting concerns over rising energy costs and unnecessarily spending $1 billion on new power plants.

Jackson-based Consumers Energy is targeting hundreds of its business customers statewide in an effort to reduce energy demand during times when the electric grid is most stressed.

Small, independently owned power plants across Michigan are locked in a battle with Jackson-based Consumers Energy over what may very well decide their fate.

Jackson-based Consumers Energy says it hears loud and clear the message from a growing number of large Michigan businesses that want their electricity to come from renewable sources.

MUSKEGON — As a result of the challenging economics of maintaining decades-old coal plants, communities nationwide have wrestled with how to replace lost tax revenue and repurpose large industrial brownfield sites when those facilities close.

FREMONT — After closing abruptly two years ago, a state-of-the-art biodigester facility in Newaygo County is getting a second life from one of the nation’s leading clean energy investors.

Executives in Michigan’s solar energy industry spent most of 2016 dealing with anxiety and uncertainty over proposed legislative changes most believed would have stifled growth in the state’s nascent sector.

About 20 years ago, energy experts predicted a major challenge with producing the amount of electricity needed to accommodate the huge growth of the internet and storing companies’ data on energy-intensive servers.

Roughly a year ago, Jackson-based Consumers Energy became the first major utility in Michigan to propose a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations.

Jackson-based Consumers Energy remains in discussions with the Michigan Public Service Commission over its plan to end an agreement to buy electricity from the Palisades nuclear plant in Van Buren County.