Take a deep breath, and you know you’re in Michigan. The air is the cleanest it’s been in a generation. It’s easy to take for granted. Not us. We strive to do better.
Our Clean Energy Plan, also known as its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), is a comprehensive and far-reaching strategy to protect the planet and reinforce our promise of sustainability. The Clean Energy Plan is a 20-year blueprint to guide our regulated electric business.
The plan positions Consumers Energy as an industry leader, retiring its remaining coal-fired plants to help reach a net zero carbon emissions goal by 2040. Eliminating coal use 15 years sooner than previously planned will improve air quality, cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce landfill waste and dramatically reduce our water use.
This plan will also help us reduce carbon emissions from owned generation by approximately 60% from 2005 levels by 2025. By 2040, 61% of Consumers Energy’s electric capacity will come from renewable sources including nearly 8,000 megawatts of solar.
We have pledged to protect the planet by achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s entire natural gas production and delivery system — including customers and suppliers — by 2050. Achieving net zero emissions means eliminating the impact of emissions traced to the burning of natural gas by customers and greenhouse gas emissions caused by natural gas suppliers who produce and transport natural gas to the company’s system.
As a next step on our path to net zero by 2050, we are already implementing industry-leading plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These include:
Pursuing a net zero goal for all emission sources, including those from customers and suppliers, aligns the company’s efforts with Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as well as the recommendations of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming.
CMS Energy is executing and exploring a variety of pathways to support customers and suppliers who want to reduce their emissions.
The company is also modernizing its natural gas operations with a 10-year Natural Gas Delivery Plan to ensure the continued delivery of safe, reliable, affordable and clean natural gas. The plan includes accelerated infrastructure replacement, innovative leak detection and key process changes to eliminate, avoid and minimize methane emissions.
See our required postings for other waste disposal information on regulatory requirements related to toxic emissions and greenhouse gasses.