Displaying items by tag: Consumers Energy
‘A LITTLE LIGHT:’ Landmark LGBTQ ruling sets stage for statewide civil rights action, debate over religious exemptions
A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on June 15 bars workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and also highlights additional work that needs to be done in Michigan.
Remediation, property sale complete at former Muskegon coal plant site
MUSKEGON — The former B.C. Cobb coal plant on Muskegon Lake is anticipated to be “one of the top marine port terminals” on the Great Lakes after officials announced today the site’s remediation and sale to a new owner.
HopCat parent company BarFly Ventures files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
GRAND RAPIDS — BarFly Ventures LLC, the parent company of the HopCat chain of beer bars, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan.
DTE, Consumers shareholders reject calls for more political spending disclosures
Shareholders of Michigan’s two major investor-owned utilities have recently rejected calls for more transparency on the companies’ contributions to tax-exempt nonprofit advocacy groups.
MiBiz Growth Report: May 27, 2020
Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for May 27, 2020.
Renewable energy, transmission build-out needed in Lower Peninsula as plants close
Michigan needs a swift build-out of renewable energy and, in the longer term, more transmission projects to account for the energy shortfall that will grow as more coal and nuclear plants are retired.
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Michigan solar installers return to work under new guidelines
Michigan solar energy installers have been gearing up over the past week to return to work today following an executive order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that opens construction, real estate and some manufacturing sectors.
COVID-19 wipes out clean energy job gains as regulators explore effect on utilities
The coronavirus has wiped out recent statewide clean energy job gains as Michigan companies take a patchwork approach to continuing work during the pandemic.
MPSC: Consumers Energy driving wave of solar development in Michigan
A wave of independently owned solar projects planned in Michigan is driven largely by contracts with Consumers Energy, which has long-term plans to significantly boost its solar portfolio.
Four Michigan cities are national leaders in energy efficiency
Four Michigan small cities rank among the top 10 of their peers nationally for energy efficiency based on the number of buildings saving electricity, costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week.
CRISIS MODE: West Michigan execs talk leadership strategies amid pandemic
As a global pandemic began to hit West Michigan, executives around the region stepped up to lead their organizations and their employees through the time of crisis.
Consumers Energy continues construction while DTE halts plans
Michigan’s two major investor-owned utilities are taking divergent paths when it comes to building new energy projects as the state escalates actions to contain the coronavirus.
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Consumers CEO donates $1M to help Jackson businesses
Consumers Energy President and CEO Patti Poppe announced this morning she and her husband have made a $1 million personal donation to a new fund supporting small businesses in Jackson, where the utility is headquartered.
Consumers Energy suspends shutoffs for seniors, low-income customers
Jackson-based Consumers Energy says it will suspend shutoffs for non-pay for seniors and low-income customers starting today until April 5, citing “unprecedented circumstances” surrounding the spread of coronavirus.
Former Muskegon coal plant site preps for next phase under new owners
Developers are finalizing the decommissioning of the former B.C. Cobb coal plant in Muskegon as the 115-acre site assumes new ownership and a sole focus as a port terminal facility.
Utilities oppose bipartisan solar bills backed by installers, clean energy groups
Michigan’s two major investor-owned utilities remain opposed to a series of bills that supporters say are needed to grow the state’s nascent solar industry.
Utility regulators approve energy efficiency programs for low-income customers
The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved plans to expand energy efficiency programs for low-income customers of the state’s two major utilities.
Environmental groups praise Consumers for new 2040 clean energy target
Consumers Energy has upped the ante on its own long-term clean energy plan, announcing in late February it expects to hit net-zero carbon emissions for its electricity portfolio by 2040 as part of its climate change efforts.
Grand Haven weighs energy options after Sims coal plant closure
GRAND HAVEN — The J.B. Sims power plant in Grand Haven burned its last supply of coal this month, but local officials are still debating plans for the city’s long-term energy portfolio.
West Michigan renewable energy projects: wind out, solar in
After plans for a wind energy project north of Grand Rapids fell apart late last year, a separate developer is looking to use hundreds of acres of rural land in Montcalm County for solar.
Backers hope new VC fund spurs more inclusive West Michigan economy
GRAND RAPIDS — The Right Place Inc.’s new venture capital fund plans to target investments toward an area of the economy where capital historically has flowed the least: startups and businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities.
‘Electrify everything’: Rural cooperatives can help decarbonize the power grid, advocates say
Ric Evans has yet to find the electric stove he wants to install in his rural Northern Michigan home, but everything else inside is powered by electricity, including the water heater and an air source heat pump.
Developers increasingly weigh adding solar installations to projects
GRAND RAPIDS — The 308 solar panels installed atop St. James Apartments and Townhomes will help reduce electricity costs included in the rents for residents in the project’s 36 affordable housing units.
Energy Outlook: Solar and electric vehicles on Michigan’s horizon
The beginnings of a large-scale solar power build-out, bolstering electric vehicle infrastructure and preparing a power grid of the future are among Michigan’s top energy-related trends expected in 2020.
Michigan among leaders in clean energy jobs, but advocates push for more policy change
Michigan ranks among the top Midwestern states for clean energy jobs, but environmental advocates say further policy changes are needed to push the state from “good” to “great.”
Whitmer, MPSC initiative prioritizes grid modernization in clean energy transition
Clean energy advocates praised a Thursday announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighting the need to modernize the state’s power grid as it shifts from coal-fired power.
State regulators issue energy assessment amid transition from coal
The polar vortex early this year strained Michigan’s energy supply as the state experiences an “unprecedented shift” in the way it produces power and relies more heavily on natural gas and renewables, according to state regulators.
Utility agreement marks shift for future solar energy projects
A settlement agreement approved in September between Consumers Energy and multiple solar energy developers triggers a large-scale buildout across the Lower Peninsula, but also marks a shift in the way the utility will contract for solar power in the future.
Holland leads with energy financing program, but work remains
HOLLAND — A financing program in Holland that helps residents pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades remains one of the only such programs in Michigan, and could be a model for more to come.
Consumers Energy plans large-scale solar buy in Calhoun County
Consumers Energy announced plans Thursday to purchase a majority of the output from a large-scale solar project in Calhoun County, among the first deals under the utility’s shift to renewable energy.