Consumers Energy Selects 22 Business, Residential Projects in Michigan to Produce Solar Power

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Jul 01, 2014, 06:00 ET

JACKSON, Mich., July 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy has chosen 22 new projects offered by businesses and homeowners across Michigan's Lower Peninsula to produce solar energy.

"We continue to see a healthy interest in solar energy from the Michigan residents and businesses we serve, and we're pleased to add these to the more than 200 contracts for solar power we already have in place," said Tim Sparks, Consumers Energy's vice president for energy supply operations.

"As anyone can see from the new projects here, we have help from a diverse group of individuals and businesses in developing a renewable energy supply for the future."

Five non-residential projects in four counties were selected. The projects will provide 546 kilowatts of electric capacity, and they range in size from 21 to 150 kilowatts.

Seventeen residential customer projects in 13 counties – Bay, Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Gladwin, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Kent, Monroe, Newaygo, Ottawa and Washtenaw – also were selected. The projects will provide about 171 kilowatts of electric capacity, and they range in size from 2.5 to 20 kilowatts.

The customers were chosen as part of the company's Experimental Advanced Renewable Program (EARP). The program provides for the long-term purchase of renewable energy generated by solar energy systems owned by electric customers.

Consumers Energy is on target to use renewable sources for 10 percent of the electricity it supplies by 2015. Those sources include solar and wind energy, biomass, hydroelectric power and anaerobic digestion.

The next phase of the EARP is opening for residential customers. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Aug. 6. Learn more at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/EARP.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

Solar projects selected by Consumers Energy include: