CROTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — On Tuesday Consumers Energy announced plans to sell its remaining 13 hydro-electric dams in Michigan under a 30-year agreement with Confluence Hydro, a company owned by Hull Street Energy.
Under the deal, Confluence Hydro will purchase the dams for a total of $13, one dollar for each facility, and will continue supplying electricity to Consumers Energy. The utility said hydro-electric generation accounts for less than 1% of its business, and selling the facilities will allow it to concentrate on other operations.
The decision comes after several years of deliberations and public input.
For communities near the dams, the announcement ends years of uncertainty. That includes the Croton Dam along the Muskegon River, where some feared changes could impact tourism and recreation.
Michael Brooks, owner of Croton Dam Float Trips, said the water released from the dam is critical to his business.
While business has slowed for the season, Brooks hopes the river’s flow will be maintained for the foreseeable future.
Brooks recalled concerns about dam safety after a failure in Midland several years ago and said, while Consumers was considering how to move forward, he wondered whether the dam would continue to receive proper maintenance.
Now, with the sale to Confluence Hydro, he said he’s optimistic.
“It seems like the right, right direction, for sure,” Brooks said.
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