We’re here to power progress in communities throughout Michigan. That’s why our community affairs managers live and work across our service area and are active members of the communities they represent. They listen to, inform and advocate for our customers. These conversations are critical to our long-term success and help us deliver on our promise: World Class Performance Delivering Hometown Service.

Our stakeholder conversations help us shape our sustainable development strategy. Before filing our industry-leading Clean Energy Plan, we provided opportunities for customers and other stakeholders to engage directly with subject matter experts across the company. We also developed an online comment box and hosted three technical workshops as the plan was built to collect and consider feedback about our objectives.

By engaging conversations about community needs and environmental concerns, we’ve also worked to revitalize cities and enhance land in our communities. We built our headquarters in our hometown of Jackson, stimulating a dramatic revival of the historic downtown area. The Cadillac Solar Gardens project, completed in 2021, is another example of the progress that happens when we work collaboratively with communities. The gardens were constructed on a brownfield and now deliver clean and renewable energy and a place for pollinators to flourish. Prior to retiring our Classic Seven coal plants in 2016, we developed relationships with community leaders and nearby residents to ensure their communities would continue to thrive after the plant closures.

Our community affairs conversations extend beyond development. We work with customers, businesses and civic leaders to help them save money through energy-related projects, products and services. These efforts have helped our residential and business customers reduce energy costs and become more energy efficient.

Helping to Build Small Town Success

Stronger small towns add up to a stronger Michigan, and we care for our rural communities. We’re privileged to serve the largest rural customer base of any energy company in Michigan, including more than 1 million people in counties with 70,000 people or less. Many of these communities have limited resources for economic development.

The Consumers Energy Foundation’s Put Your Town on the Map competition – launched in partnership with the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan – is one way we support rural communities. It provides $50,000 a year to turn communities’ great ideas into innovative projects that attract visitors to downtowns, with focus on housing, education, employment and cultivating community pride.

We also partner with local chambers of commerce and economic development agencies across the state to promote small town and rural development and help meet these communities’ needs.

Connect with Us

We know partnering with our customers and communities is key to supporting our triple bottom line: People, Planet and Prosperity. Please see our Community Affairs Manager Map to connect with a liaison closest to your community.