Consumers Energy have announced that the Gratiot Farms Wind Project (Gratiot Farms) is operational and contributing 150 MW of clean, renewable energy to customers in Michigan, US.
Gratiot Farms Wind Project went online on 16 December 2020, and features 60 turbines with a 150 MW capacity, enough to power about 58 000 residents. Consumers Energy acquired the project from Enel Green Power America, which started the development of the wind farm. Consumers Energy took ownership and responsibility for completing construction of the project in September 2019.
Approximately 250 workers were employed during the construction of Gratiot Farms. A team of 10 highly trained full-time employees will operate the electric generation facility from a newly established service centre in Middleton, Michigan, scheduled to be completed by late February 2021.
Gratiot Farms represents a US$260 million investment in Michigan’s clean energy infrastructure. It joins Lake Winds Energy Park in Mason County and Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County as wind energy projects Consumers Energy owns and operates.
Combined, the three Consumers Energy wind energy parks produce enough clean, renewable energy to power approximately 185 600 residents.
Consumers Energy created a video to provide the public the opportunity to take a virtual tour of their new wind energy park and see what goes into constructing a large-scale wind farm.
The company’s Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers’ energy needs through clean sources such as renewable energy, energy waste reduction and energy storage.
Consumers Energy, one of Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
