Consumers Energy filed its long-term energy plan with state regulators on Thursday.
Known as an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), utilities in Michigan must regularly show state regulators that they can meet future demand for electricity, and also how they are going to meet that demand.
It's a crucial roadmap toward reliably meeting the state's electricity demand, in addition to working toward the state's hoped-for clean energy future.
Consumers Energy said it will need to more than double its capacity between 2028 and 2040. It says it will do that mostly with clean energy — wind, solar, and battery storage — but it will also need to build two new natural gas plants.
The plan also builds in demand for a new data center.
Anita Griffin is a vice president of commercial operations and planning at Consumers Energy.
She said the plan meets the requirements of the state's 2023 clean energy goals, while also meeting the overall increased demand for electricity.
"We support Michigan's growth, whether it's new homes, or new manufacturing, or if it's supporting data centers," Griffin said. "So we are planning for all of those scenarios, and our plan does account for data center growth."
Environmental groups say the state should make sure the gas plants — which produce carbon emissions — are necessary, and aren't built just to serve the future data center.
"There are a lot of renewable energy resources in the plan," said Katie Duckworth, a staff attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, "but there's also significant amounts of new gas plants being proposed. So we will be scrutinizing the plan and how much data centers are driving that."
Editor's note: Consumers Energy is among Michigan Public's corporate sponsors.
