Consumers Energy Searching for Land for New Solar Plants
A Consumers Energy array of solar panels in west Michigan. Photo courtesy Consumers Energy. (May 9, 2022 9:02 AM) Consumers Energy today announced it wants to work with landowners and communities to identify locations for utility-scale solar power plants that will provide clean, renewable electricity to Michigan for decades to come. Solar is the centerpiece of the company’s Clean Energy Plan to meet Michigan’s energy needs over the next 20 years while protecting the environment by eliminating coal and achieving net zero carbon emissions. With regulatory approval, Consumers Energy plans a major expansion to add 8,000 megawatts of utility-scale solar energy by 2040. Consumers had announced previously its intent to have more than 60 percent of its electric capacity will come from renewable sources by 2040. Consumers Energy is searching for tens of thousands of acres throughout Michigan. “We need support throughout Michigan, especially in rural and agricultural areas, and we want to work with landowners and local leaders interested in siting solar power plants to deliver environmental and economic benefits for their communities,” said Dennis Dobbs, vice president of Enterprise Project Management and Environmental Services. “Harnessing the sun is Michigan’s moonshot — and we won’t achieve this historic goal…
