KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — (Correction of article written and published on Monday, December 19: First mentioned Morrow dam in Kalamazoo County in Comstock Township, which is not owned by Consumers Energy. Article corrected on Tuesday, December 20 to reflect Calkins Bridge dam in Allegan County, which is owned by Consumers Energy.)
Consumers Energy is set to launch an independent study of the company’s 13 river hydro facilities to determine the future of it’s dams.
The company currently operates 13 such facilities across five rivers in the state to include the Calkins Bridge dam on the Kalamazoo River in Allegan County.
Others include the Au Sable, the Grand, the Manistee and the Muskegon Rivers.
According to a press release from Consumers Energy dated Monday, December 19, the facilities run on federal licenses that last between 30 and forty years, with the licenses for the first facilities scheduled to expire in 2034.
The company expects the study to advise them on how to act in the future, choosing one of four potential options: re-licensing the dams to continue generating electricity, selling the dams, removing the dams or replacing them with an alternative structure.
The study will be conducted by the Lansing-based consulting firm, Public Sector Consultants. The firm conducted the 2022 community river hydro in-person listening sessions and will build on the feedback from those meetings for the current work.
“Consumers Energy is committed to being a good neighbor and working transparently as we make informed decisions to reach the best outcomes for our customers, stakeholders and the communities we serve,” said Norm Kapala, vice president of generation operations at Consumers Energy. “We know our dams play significant roles in Michigan, especially in the economies of the communities near our facilities, and we share with local leaders and others the desire to quantify those impacts before developing long term strategies regarding the future of those facilities.”
For more information about the process to determine the future of Consumers Energy’s river hydro facilities, visit ConsumersEnergy.com/
