Consumers Energy announced Gratiot Farms Wind Project is operational and contributing 150 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to customers in Michigan.
“We are excited to have completed construction and bring Gratiot Farms online to serve customers. Each kilowatt we generate from renewable sources such as the wind gets us closer to our Clean Energy Plan goal of a net-zero carbon energy future,” said Dennis Dobbs, vice president of enterprise project management, engineering and services for Consumers Energy. “We are committed to be good neighbors in Gratiot County, where our project is providing substantial local tax revenue and well-paying jobs.”
Gratiot Farms Wind Project went online December 16 and features 60 turbines with a 150-megawatt capacity, enough to power about 58,000 residents. Consumers Energy acquired the project from Enel Green Power America, which started the development of the wind farm. Consumers Energy took ownership and responsibility for completing construction of the project in September 2019.
Approximately 250 workers were employed during the construction of Gratiot Farms. A team of 10 highly trained full-time employees will operate the electric generation facility from a newly established service center in Middleton, Michigan, scheduled to be completed by late February.
Gratiot Farms represents a $260 million investment in Michigan’s clean energy infrastructure. It joins Lake Winds Energy Park in Mason County and Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County as wind energy projects Consumers Energy owns and operates.
Combined, the three Consumers Energy wind energy parks produce enough clean, renewable energy to power about 185,600 residents.
Consumers Energy created a video to provide the public the opportunity to take a virtual tour of their new wind energy park and see what goes into constructing a large-scale wind farm. Those interested in watching construction activity and hearing from those directly involved in building Gratiot Farms Wind Energy Park can access the online video here.
Consumers Energy’s Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers’ energy needs through clean sources like renewable energy, energy waste reduction and energy storage.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
