Consumers Energy: Solar array project to replace former Karn coal plants - WNEM

Consumers Energy: Solar array project to replace former Karn coal plants

ESSEXVILLE, Mich. (WNEM) - Consumers Energy has announced its new plans for an 85-megawatt solar array at the former Karn coal facilities.

“Consumers Energy put years of thoughtful work into closing the Karn facilities, and chief among those considerations was how we wanted the site to operate and function after the closure,” said David Hicks, Consumers Energy’s vice president of clean energy development. “Based on future use studies and input from local stakeholders, solar emerged as the best option to ensure we continue to be good stewards of the land and to provide valuable tax dollars for the community while still pushing us further toward our sustainability goals.”

Consumers is working closely with community members, neighbors, and local leaders to design a responsible project fitting with the community and continues the path toward renewable generation.

Consumers Energy spokesperson Tracy Wimmer said the project could provide enough power for approximately 20,000 homes and will pay local, county, and school district taxes, totaling millions of dollars over its 30-plus-year lifetime.

“Solar is definitely the foundation of the clean energy future for Michigan, and we have a pretty aggressive goal,” Wimmer said, “We want 8,000 megawatts of it online by 2040, and we’re on track to achieve that. It just means that we’re searching for opportunities for projects anywhere we can. And being able to do it on our own land, of course, made a lot of sense.”

The closure of Karn 1 and 2 in June marked continued progress toward Consumers Energy’s goal of closing all coal plants by 2025, according to Consumers, who added this is 15 years ahead of schedule.

Over the next two decades, Consumers said the Clean Energy Plan should:

- Reduce Consumers Energy CO2 emissions by more than 73 million tons, which is the equivalent of taking 12.4 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
- Dramatically reduce emissions by criteria pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury, and particulate matter.
- Generate over half of its electric capacity with renewable resources, wind, and solar energy, by 2040.

Wimmer said this project, which is in its infancy, is all part of the effort to provide safe, reliable energy to power Michigan homes and businesses with the need to protect the state’s natural resources.

“We’re honestly still in the beginning stages of having the conversations with community members, as well as filing permits, and getting everything in order to begin a construction project, which is a little bit down the road still,” she said.

The solar array project is slated to be operational by 2026.

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