Consumers Energy to hold meetings on future of hydroelectric dams - Detroit News
Consumers Energy to hold meetings on future of hydroelectric dams
Consumers Energy seeks public input on future of its hydroelectric dams in Michigan
Consumers Energy will host two virtual meetings this fall to gather input as the utility contemplates selling more than a dozen hydroelectric dams.
The Jackson-based utility is looking into the possibility of selling 13 dams but also exploring ways to save the reservoirs associated with those dams. The virtual meetings will be a chance to update the community on where things stand and provide an opportunity for people to ask questions. Consumers will present feedback gathered in the past year and the results of an economic contribution study.
"Consumers Energy is considering all options to safely maintain the dam reservoirs and reduce costs for customers," the company said in a news release.
The dams produce less than 1% of energy used by its customers. Consumers' licenses to run the dams begin to expire in 11 years, according to the utility.
More: Consumers Energy exploring possible sale of 13 hydroelectric dams across Michigan
In early August, the utility announced it planned to issue a request for proposals to sell its dams but also was considering options to preserve the reservoirs after holding a series of meetings with community members and local leaders about the dams’ future. Dam reservoirs are the lakes created by dams that are often popular with boaters and anglers.
“After numerous conversations over the past year, it is clear the reservoirs are important for economic and recreational opportunities in these communities across Michigan,” said Norm Kapala, Consumers Energy’s vice president of generation operations, in an Aug. 9 press release. “But we also know that the current model for financing our hydroelectric power operations requires customers to pay more than nine times for the cost of energy compared to other sources of generation.”
Consumers Energy’s 30 to 40-year federal operating licenses on the Muskegon, Manistee, Grand, Kalamazoo and Au Sable rivers are set to expire beginning in 2034 through 2041.
The meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 12 and 1 p.m. Nov. 16. Anyone interested in attending can register online.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydropower
Hydropower — electricity generated by turbines capturing energy from moving water — was for many years the primary contributor of renewable energy to the U.S. electricity grid. Its growth was rapid into the 1970s, and since then has offered a stable supply of power, while a declining share of all generation. For many years, hydropower was seen as clean energy and an unalloyed good, but a greater understanding of the impact of dams on ecosystems and wildlife has led to the removal of some dams. As of 2019, hydropower trails wind as a renewable source of power generation.