Does Consumers Energy’s 15-Year-Plan Make the Grade?
Consumers Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a roadmap for how it plans to power Michigan homes and businesses for the next 15 years, is currently being considered by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The IRP will have far-reaching impacts on our state’s climate efforts, public health, and economy.
Read our report card to understand how Consumers’ plan will impact you. Then, share your thoughts directly with MPSC.
Does Consumers’ Energy Plan “Make the Grade?”
Consumers Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a roadmap for how it plans to power Michigan homes and businesses for the next 15 years, is currently being considered by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The IRP will have far-reaching impacts on our state’s climate efforts, public health, and economy.
Read our report card to understand how Consumers’ plan will impact you. Then, share your thoughts directly with MPSC.
Consumers Energy Doesn’t Make the Honor Roll
A broad coalition of clean energy, environmental justice, and consumer advocacy organizations scored Consumers’ proposed plan and determined that there’s plenty of room for improvement. Explore the full report card below.
The MPSC is currently in the process of reviewing the plan, public comments, and expert testimony, and we’re expecting them to make a final ruling this spring. Between now and then, it’s critical that the MPSC hear from the most important stakeholders— Consumers Energy ratepayers like you.
Tell Michigan’s energy regulators that Consumers Energy can and must do better.
Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
How to get an A:
- Provide access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Take additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of Consumers’ aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers gave a nod to equitable access, but its plan includes next to no concrete steps to ensure it. A stronger plan would go all in on distributed generation and include designated clean energy programs for low-income and BIPOC communities — communities most harmed by our legacy fossil fuel infrastructure, and with the most to gain from improved resilience.
GRADE:
D
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
How to get an A:
- Provide access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Take additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of Consumers’ aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
D
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers gave a nod to equitable access, but its plan includes next to no concrete steps to ensure it. A stronger plan would go all in on distributed generation and include designated clean energy programs for low-income and BIPOC communities — communities most harmed by our legacy fossil fuel infrastructure, and with the most to gain from improved resilience.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Ensuring Affordable Energy for All Customers
How to get an A:
- Take advantage of the opportunity to reduce costs by retiring uneconomic fossil energy and replacing it with a portfolio of cheaper, clean energy resources
- Stop charging customers for stranded fossil plants
- Maximize the most affordable resources to meet Consumers Energy customers’ needs
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers is taking some positive steps by retiring coal and building 8 gigawatts of utility-scale solar — but its planned purchase of four fossil gas plants brings its grade way down. The plan would cost hardworking Michiganders nearly $1.4 billion, while lining the pockets of big utility companies. Making expensive gas investments on the backs of ratepayers doesn’t make the grade.
GRADE:
D+
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Ensuring Affordable Energy for All Customers
How to get an A:
- Take advantage of the opportunity to reduce costs by retiring uneconomic fossil energy and replacing it with a portfolio of cheaper, clean energy resources
- Stop charging customers for stranded fossil plants
- Maximize the most affordable resources to meet Consumers Energy customers’ needs
GRADE:
D+
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers is taking some positive steps by retiring coal and building 8 gigawatts of utility-scale solar — but its planned purchase of four fossil gas plants brings its grade way down. The plan would cost hardworking Michiganders nearly $1.4 billion, while lining the pockets of big utility companies. Making expensive gas investments on the backs of ratepayers doesn’t make the grade.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Building Community Power and Developing Local Workforce
How to get an A:
- Support clean energy opportunities within communities, including rooftop solar and neighborhood-owned power generation
- Develop plans to ensure economic development opportunities in communities, particularly where fossil fuel power plants are retiring
- Gather and incorporate input from those communities that are most affected
Why Consumers Got This Grade
The Consumers IRP flat-out ignores distributed generation and community solar, which would bring local clean power and economic development right to communities. Instead of seeing distributed energy resources (DERs) as an opportunity, Consumers seems to view them as a burden. Consumers also failed to seek input from impacted communities, opting instead to limit its stakeholder outreach to legal and technical experts. Utility resource planning should be transparent, accessible, and center the voices of historically overburdened ratepayers.
GRADE:
D
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Building Community Power and Developing Local Workforce
How to get an A:
- Support clean energy opportunities within communities, including rooftop solar and neighborhood-owned power generation
- Develop plans to ensure economic development opportunities in communities, particularly where fossil fuel power plants are retiring
- Gather and incorporate input from those communities that are most affected
GRADE:
D
Why Consumers Got This Grade
The Consumers IRP flat-out ignores distributed generation and community solar, which would bring local clean power and economic development right to communities. Instead of seeing distributed energy resources (DERs) as an opportunity, Consumers seems to view them as a burden. Consumers also failed to seek input from impacted communities, opting instead to limit its stakeholder outreach to legal and technical experts. Utility resource planning should be transparent, accessible, and center the voices of historically overburdened ratepayers.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Protecting Public Health
How to get an A:
- Retire dirty coal plants as soon as possible
- Maximize investments in clean energy sources like wind and solar
- Prioritize energy efficiency to reduce the need for new power plants thereby reducing polluting emissions
- Ensure extensive pollutant emission data and tracking
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Fossil gas is harmful to public health, plain and simple. Consumers’ plan includes the purchase of the Dearborn Industrial Generation (DIG) gas plant, which is notorious for its dismal record of environmental injustices and located in a community already overburdened by pollution. Consumers’ plan to retire coal plants by 2025 brings its grade up to passing, but abandoning the gas plants could mean an A.
GRADE:
C
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Protecting Public Health
- Retiring dirty coal plants as soon as possible
- Maximizing investments in clean energy sources like wind and solar
- Prioritizing energy efficiency to reduce the need for new power plants thereby reducing polluting emissions
- Ensuring extensive pollutant emission data and tracking
GRADE:
C
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Fossil gas is harmful to public health, plain and simple. Consumers’ plan includes the purchase of the Dearborn Industrial Generation (DIG) gas plant, which is notorious for its dismal record of environmental injustices and located in a community already overburdened by pollution. Consumers’ plan to retire coal plants by 2025 brings its grade up to passing, but abandoning the gas plants could mean an A.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Prioritizing Energy Efficiency
How to get an A:
- Properly value energy efficiency benefits
- Capture all cost-effective energy efficiency
- Enable robust low-income programs
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Instead of expanding its programs designed to reduce energy waste, Consumers scaled them down. By helping ratepayers reduce energy use — especially energy-burdened customers, who already pay more than their fair share — Consumers could help lower utility bills and reduce its over-reliance on fossil fuels.
GRADE:
C+
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Prioritizing Energy Efficiency
How to get an A:
- Properly value energy efficiency benefits
- Capture all cost-effective energy efficiency
- Enable robust low-income programs
GRADE:
C+
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Instead of expanding its programs designed to reduce energy waste, Consumers scaled them down. By helping ratepayers reduce energy use — especially energy-burdened customers, who already pay more than their fair share — Consumers could help lower utility bills and reduce its over-reliance on fossil fuels.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Building A Path Towards 100% Clean Energy
How to get an A:
- Maximize wind, solar, and other renewable energy technologies towards 100% clean energy as soon as possible
- Request proposals from third-party developers to ensure renewable energy projects are cost-competitive
- Develop community solar projects
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers’ plan includes an admirable amount of utility-scale solar, but fails to recognize the value of community solar. Community solar expands access to the clean energy economy by empowering all customers to power their homes with solar — not just those with the housing or wealth needed to install solar on their roofs. The plan also lacks meaningful investments in battery storage. By fully embracing solar and storage, Consumers could improve resilience and keep the lights on for Michigan families.
GRADE:
C
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Building A Path Towards 100% Clean Energy
How to get an A:
- Maximize wind, solar, and other renewable energy technologies towards 100% clean energy as soon as possible
- Request proposals from third-party developers to ensure renewable energy projects are cost-competitive
- Develop community solar projects
GRADE:
C
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Consumers’ plan includes an admirable amount of utility-scale solar, but fails to recognize the value of community solar. Community solar expands access to the clean energy economy by empowering all customers to power their homes with solar — not just those with the housing or wealth needed to install solar on their roofs. The plan also lacks meaningful investments in battery storage. By fully embracing solar and storage, Consumers could improve resilience and keep the lights on for Michigan families.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Retiring Coal Plants
How to get an A:
- Conduct comprehensive economic assessments of alternative, earlier retirement dates for each of their coal units
- Analyze health impacts of coal plant emissions
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Credit where credit’s due: Consumers Energy deserves major kudos for its commitment to retire coal by 2025. Though we wish it had happened sooner, this is a big step forward for Michigan’s economy, climate action, and public health. We hope to see DTE Energy, Michigan’s other monopoly utility, follow suit.
GRADE:
A-
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Retiring Coal Plants
How to get an A:
- Conduct comprehensive economic assessments of alternative, earlier retirement dates for each of their coal units
- Analyze health impacts of coal plant emissions
GRADE:
A-
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Credit where credit’s due: Consumers Energy deserves major kudos for its commitment to retire coal by 2025. Though we wish it had happened sooner, this is a big step forward for Michigan’s economy, climate action, and public health. We hope to see DTE Energy, Michigan’s other monopoly utility, follow suit.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Avoiding Additional Fracked Gas Infrastructure
How to get an A:
- Refrain from additional, risky, and unnecessary fracked gas energy infrastructure
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Purchasing four gas plants would mean more gas on Consumers’ system than ever before. When Consumers announced its plan to retire coal, they created an incredible opportunity to invest heavily in clean energy. Instead, they’re taking the dirtier, more costly path of replacing coal with gas. We can’t afford to simply swap one polluting fossil fuel for another.
GRADE:
D+
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
- Avoiding Additional Fracked Gas Infrastructure
How to get an A:
- Provide access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Take additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
D+
Why Consumers Got This Grade
Purchasing four gas plants would mean more gas on Consumers’ system than ever before. When Consumers announced its plan to retire coal, they created an incredible opportunity to invest heavily in clean energy. Instead, they’re taking the dirtier, more costly path of replacing coal with gas. We can’t afford to simply swap one polluting fossil fuel for another.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Lobbying Against the Public Interest
How to get an A:
- Spend significant money on lobbying against the wishes of their customers
Why Consumers Got This Grade
While Michigan families sit in the dark or struggle to pay utility bills, Consumers has been giving massive payouts to politicians working against necessary climate and environmental policy. Consumers actively opposes bills that would lift Michigan’s stifling solar cap and expand community solar.
GRADE:
A
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share Consumers’ poor grades with your networks:
Lobbying Against the Public Interest
- Providing access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Taking additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
A
Why Consumers Got This Grade
While Michigan families sit in the dark or struggle to pay utility bills, Consumers has been giving massive payouts to politicians working against necessary climate and environmental policy. Consumers actively opposes bills that would lift Michigan’s stifling solar cap and expand community solar.
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Endorsers
The following organizations developed this report card for Consumers Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, and testified to energy regulators at the Michigan Public Service Commission to for a more equitable clean energy Michigan.
Pictured at top: a broad coalition of advocates unites to power up Michigan with clean energy.
