Consumers Energy to Offer Public Tours of Campbell Complex in West Michigan, Starting to End an Era for Coal

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Aug 21, 2024, 06:00 ET

Ottawa County Complex to Close in Mid-2025 as Part of Clean Energy Plan

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich., Aug. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy is inviting the public to tour its J.H. Campbell Complex in West Michigan next month, starting the final leg in the process that will close the energy provider's last coal-fired complex in less than a year.

Consumers Energy is closing all three units of the Ottawa County complex. This closure will mark the company as one of the first U.S. utility providers to eliminate coal burning and is part of its Clean Energy Plan for a carbon-neutral energy grid by 2040.

"We're excited to give our friends and neighbors the opportunity to look inside Campbell as we make this major energy transition," said Norm Kapala, Consumers Energy's vice president of generation operations. "Our Campbell complex and the people who work here have served our state faithfully with reliable energy for generations. We want to provide an opportunity to understand and appreciate that legacy."

Consumers Energy is offering bus tours of the Campbell complex for Sept. 21. People must sign up in advance for scheduled times, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The free tours will last about an hour, including an opportunity to go inside. Learn more and register here: Campbell Complex Public Tour - Sept. 21 | Eventbrite

The Campbell complex is slated to close by June 1, 2025. It is made up of three units that were built in 1962, 1967 and 1980. They are the last of 12 coal-fired units ― including those at the Cobb (Muskegon County), Whiting (Monroe County), Weadock (Bay County), and most recently, Karn (Bay County) plants ― that started closing in 2016.

Video: A look from above: Drone footage of Consumers Energy's Campbell complex

As with the other plants, Consumers Energy is committed to a just transition for Campbell. That means Campbell complex employees will be offered other job opportunities with the company. In partnership with community leaders, the site will be redeveloped following its demolition in 2026 or later.

Consumers Energy has prepared for a coal-free energy future. The company purchased and started operating the Covert Generating Station in Southwest Michigan's Van Buren County last year, matching most of the energy that Campbell provides. Consumers Energy continues to develop clean energy projects, including five Michigan wind farms and the Muskegon Solar Energy Center, which is slated to begin operations in 2026.

"We will be busy the next nine months as we continue to operate Campbell right up until it closes. We're committed to a useful future for this property, but not before we take the time to reflect on the complex's important work serving Michigan," Kapala said.

Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source by 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers' energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.

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SOURCE Consumers Energy