Consumers Energy Foundation Grant Helps Preserve Luna Pier Lighthouse

Luna Pier, Mich. Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Grant Demonstrates Company’s Ongoing Commitment to Community

The Consumers Energy Foundation today said it will preserve the majesty of the City of Luna Pier’s historic red lighthouse for years to come as it announced a $210,000 grant to assist with renovations.

The grant was recognized during a ceremony at the Lighthouse today that featured company, city, county and state officials as well as local residents.

“Luna Pier is the first city visitors see when they enter Michigan on I-75, and this beautiful lighthouse serves as a point of pride for the city. Completing lighthouse renovations will provide the people of Luna Pier with a beautiful gathering space, help protect the natural beauty of our lakeshore, and attract more visitors and businesses to utilize the space,” said Dennis Dobbs, vice president of enterprise project management and environmental services.

In late 2017, the Consumers Energy Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to Luna Pier to support renovations to the actual pier, located just beyond the lighthouse. The grants are the result of discussions with local stakeholders to create a plan that would help keep Luna Pier on a path of growth following the 2016 closing of Consumer Energy’s J.R. Whiting Plant.

“We remain grateful to Luna Pier residents, officials and the hard-working employees who helped operate the Whiting plant safely, efficiently and productively for so many years,” Dobbs said. “We know the plant was part of the fabric of daily life in Luna Pier, and our bond with the community did not end just because the turbines stopped running – we’re pleased to support the pier project.”

Since 2015, the Consumers Energy, its Foundation, employees and retirees have contributed more than $600,000 to nonprofit organizations in Monroe County.

“Completion of construction on the pier and the upcoming lighthouse work are the first steps to the redevelopment of Luna Pier. I am confident this investment will help create a ripple effect throughout Monroe County for residents, visitors and investors. The ongoing support of Consumers Energy is important as we work to retain and attract a diverse range of business and industry through initiatives that contribute to the success of our communities,” said Tim Lake, president and CEO of the Monroe County Business Development Corp.

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.

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For more information Consumers Energy in your community visit:  www.ConsumersEnergy.com/sustainability

Find out more about Luna Pier by visiting:www.cityoflunapier.com

More information about the Monroe County Business Development Corp. is available here:www.monroecountybdc.org

Media Contacts: Debra Dodd, 586-918-0597, or Terry DeDoes, 517-374-2159

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.

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