Ottawa County Complex to Close in Mid-2025 as
Part of Clean Energy Plan
OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich., Aug. 21,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy is inviting the
public to tour its J.H. Campbell Complex in West Michigan next month, starting the final
leg in the process that will close the energy provider's last
coal-fired complex in less than a year.
Consumers Energy is closing all three units of the Ottawa County complex. This closure will mark
the company as one of the first U.S. utility providers to eliminate
coal burning and is part of its Clean Energy Plan for a
carbon-neutral energy grid by 2040.
"We're excited to give our friends and neighbors the opportunity
to look inside Campbell as we make
this major energy transition," said Norm
Kapala, Consumers Energy's vice president of generation
operations. "Our Campbell complex and the people who work here have
served our state faithfully with reliable energy for generations.
We want to provide an opportunity to understand and appreciate that
legacy."
Consumers Energy is offering bus tours of the Campbell complex for Sept. 21. People must sign up in advance for
scheduled times, which are available on a first-come, first-served
basis. The free tours will last about an hour, including an
opportunity to go inside. Learn more and register
here: Campbell Complex Public Tour - Sept. 21 | Eventbrite
The Campbell complex is slated
to close by June 1, 2025. It is made
up of three units that were built in 1962, 1967 and 1980. They are
the last of 12 coal-fired units ― including those at the Cobb
(Muskegon County), Whiting
(Monroe County), Weadock
(Bay County), and most recently,
Karn (Bay County) plants ― that
started closing in 2016.
Video: A look from above: Drone footage of
Consumers Energy's Campbell
complex
As with the other plants, Consumers Energy is committed to a
just transition for Campbell. That
means Campbell complex employees
will be offered other job opportunities with the company. In
partnership with community leaders, the site will be redeveloped
following its demolition in 2026 or later.
Consumers Energy has prepared for a coal-free energy future. The
company purchased and started operating the Covert Generating
Station in Southwest Michigan's
Van Buren County two years ago,
matching most of the energy that Campbell provides. Consumers Energy continues
to develop clean energy projects, including five Michigan wind farms and the Muskegon Solar
Energy Center, which is slated to begin operations in 2026.
"We will be busy the next nine months as we continue to operate
Campbell right up until it closes.
We're committed to a useful future for this property, but not
before we take the time to reflect on the complex's important work
serving Michigan," Kapala
said.
Consumers Energy is Michigan's
largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity
to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan calls for
eliminating coal as an energy source by 2025, achieving net-zero
carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers' energy needs through
clean sources, including wind and solar.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
Check out Consumers Energy on Social
Media
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SOURCE Consumers Energy