Hydroelectric
Consumers Energy owns 13 hydroelectric facilities or dams along five rivers in Michigan.[26] Built between 1906 and 1935, the hydros have a combined generating capacity of about 130 megawatts, enough to serve about 70,000 people. Near the hydros are campgrounds, boat launches and nature trails that are popular spots for canoeing, fishing and bird watching. The facilities are located on the Au Sable River (Mio Hydro, Alcona Hydro, Loud Hydro, Five Channels Hydro, Cooke Hydro, Foote Hydro), Grand River (Webber Hydro), Kalamazoo River (Allegan Hydro), Manistee River (Hodenpyl Hydro, Tippy Hydro) and Muskegon River (Rogers Hydro, Hardy Hydro, Croton Hydro).[27] Operating since 1907, the Webber Hydro on the Grand River is the company's oldest operating hydroelectric facility. The Croton Hydro on the Muskegon River was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 16, 1979.[28]
Following is a complete, sortable list of Consumers Energy's hydroelectric generating facilities:
Pumped Storage
Consumers Energy also operates and co-owns (with DTE Energy) the Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant near Ludington.[29] Built between 1969 and 1973, the plant sits on a 1,000-acre site along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It includes an 842-acre reservoir that can store up to 27 billion gallons of water — the equivalent of 2 million backyard swimming pools.
Pumped Storage
Consumers Energy also operates and co-owns (with DTE Energy) the Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant near Ludington.[29] Built between 1969 and 1973, the plant sits on a 1,000-acre site along the Lake Michigan shoreline. It includes an 842-acre reservoir that can store up to 27 billion gallons of water — the equivalent of 2 million backyard swimming pools.
Nuclear
Consumers Energy operated the Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant near Charlevoix, Michigan. The plant operated for 35 years, until 1997 when it closed. It was Michigan's first nuclear power plant and the United States' fifth nuclear plant, capable of producing 67 megawatts of electricity.[30] Palisades Nuclear Generating Station (five miles south of South Haven) was previously owned by Consumers Energy and was shut down in May 2022.
Fossil fuels
Coal
Consumers Energy's largest power plant is the coal-powered J.H. Campbell power plant between Holland and Grand Haven.[31] The other remaining coal-fired plant was the D.E. Karn generating station located on Saginaw Bay near Bay City. In 2024 it closed Karn coal-fired units 1 and 2 leaving only Karn 3 and 4 to continue operating on natural gas and fuel oil. [32] The Cobb power plant in Muskegon; the Whiting power plant on Lake Erie in Luna Pier, just north of the Michigan-Ohio state line and the J.C. Weadock Generating Plant were all coal plants that ceased operating in 2016.[33] Consumers Energy originally planned to close its remaining coal plants by 2040 but the plan was sped up to close all plants by 2025.[23][34]
Coal
Consumers Energy's largest power plant is the coal-powered J.H. Campbell power plant between Holland and Grand Haven.[31] The other remaining coal-fired plant was the D.E. Karn generating station located on Saginaw Bay near Bay City. In 2024 it closed Karn coal-fired units 1 and 2 leaving only Karn 3 and 4 to continue operating on natural gas and fuel oil. [32] The Cobb power plant in Muskegon; the Whiting power plant on Lake Erie in Luna Pier, just north of the Michigan-Ohio state line and the J.C. Weadock Generating Plant were all coal plants that ceased operating in 2016.[33] Consumers Energy originally planned to close its remaining coal plants by 2040 but the plan was sped up to close all plants by 2025.[23][34]
Natural gas
The Midland Cogeneration Venture in Midland was formerly owned by Consumer Power and still supplies power to them.[35] Additional natural gas units are planned to replace the retiring coal plants.
In 2014 Consumers Energy started the process of purchasing the DPC Juniper power plant located in Jackson, MI.[36] The sale was completed in 2016. The plant was renamed to Jackson Generation Station and has the capacity of 540 megawatts.
Recently in June 2023, Consumers Energy completed the purchase of the Covert Generation Station located in Van Buren County. [37] This plant has a 1,176-megawatt capacity.
Consumers Energy also uses natural gas and oil peaking units.[38] These include the Zeeland Generating Station, Karn 3&4 Generating Station, and combustion turbine stations.
