Consumers Energy's Mio Dam Receives Induction in Hydro Hall of Fame

Designation Announced at International Ceremony in Denver

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Jun 30, 2017, 06:00 ET

MIO, Mich., June 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mio Dam, which has been generating clean renewable energy for Michigan residents for more than 100 years and was the first dam to utilize an under-sluice spillway, has been named to the Hydro Hall of Fame.

The Consumers Energy river hydro facility received the honor at a June 27 HydroVision International ceremony in Denver, Colo.

"It's truly an honor to see Mio Dam recognized for the ingenuity of its design and the many years of value it has provided Consumers Energy customers as it begins its second century of service," said John Broschak, vice president of generation operations for Consumers Energy who accepted the designation in Denver. "We are thrilled to see the facility enter the Hydro Hall of Fame recognizing its historical significance. It's also important to note that the dam will continue to play a key role in helping Consumers Energy achieve a 15 percent renewable portfolio by 2021, recently established by comprehensive Michigan energy legislation."

The 4,900 kilowatt hydro facility on the Au Sable River began operating in 1916. The under-sluice spillway was invented and patented as a solution to the challenge of building the dam in a narrow space between the river's embankments by William Tefft, a civil and hydraulic engineer for Consumers Energy. The spillway used conduits built into the foundation under the dam's powerhouse. Typically, spillways are constructed above ground adjacent to the powerhouse.

"We applaud and welcome Mio Dam into the prestigious Hydro Hall of Fame, which now includes 48 hydropower projects located in the U.S. and internationally," said Marla J. Barnes, vice president of PennWell Publishing Hydro Group, who presented the award. "For the past 22 years the Hydro Hall of Fame designation has recognized extraordinary achievement and long-lasting facilities within the hydropower industry, and the Mio hydropower facility hits all our marks."

As a testament to 20^th century ingenuity, Mio Dam operates today with its original turbines and generators. In 2005, Mio Dam was named a Michigan Historic Site. The 23-mile stretch between Mio Dam and Alcona Pond was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1984.

Consumers Energy owns and operates 13 hydro generating facilities, which generate energy on five Michigan rivers. The energy provider's Croton Dam on the Muskegon River was inducted in the Hydro Hall of Fame in 2007. Mio Dam is the furthest upstream of the six Consumers Energy dams on the Au Sable River.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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

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