Residential Customers Solar Projects in 14 Counties Selected for Next Phase of Consumers Energy Program

News provided by

Jul 24, 2012, 08:59 ET

JACKSON, Mich., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Residential customer-initiated solar projects in 14 Michigan counties have been selected as participants in the next phase of Consumers Energy's Experimental Advanced Renewable Program.

The program provides for the long-term purchase of renewable energy generated by solar energy systems owned by the utility's electric customers. The projects were recently selected during a random drawing of qualified applicants.

The customer projects will be located in the following Michigan counties: Arenac, Eaton, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Ingham, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Leelanau, Muskegon, Ottawa and Washtenaw. The projects range in size of electricity capacity from 1.3 kilowatts to 15 kilowatts.

"We're pleased to work with interested customers on growing solar energy in Michigan. This initiative supports Consumers Energy's goal of providing a balanced energy resource for our customers," said David Ronk, Consumers Energy's director of transactions and resource planning.

Customer installations under earlier phases of the 5,000 kW program have added or are adding approximately 2,700 kW of solar energy to Michigan's electric system. These 20 customers will join 143 other Consumers Energy electric customers already participating in the Experimental Advanced Renewable Program.

Consumers Energy purchases customer-generated solar energy as part of its plan to meet the renewable energy supply requirements in Michigan's 2008 energy reform law. Under this $3.1 billion plan Consumers Energy and its suppliers are investing in 15 new Michigan generation sources. These include the utility's 100 megawatt (MW) Lake Winds Energy Park in Mason County and a 3 MW Fremont Community Digester being developed by Novi Energy, in addition to several hundred installations participating in the 5 MW Experimental Advanced Renewable Program.

These renewable energy supplies are helping Consumers Energy meet the energy law's requirement that 10 percent of the electricity supplied to its 1.8 million customers by 2015 be generated from renewable energy sources in the state.

More information on the Experimental Advanced Renewable Program is available at: www.consumersenergy.com/EARP.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at www.consumersenergy.com.

SOURCE Consumers Energy