MIDDLETON, Mich. — A new wind farm will help Consumers Energy power thousands of homes in West Michigan.
On Tuesday, the utility company started operations at Heartland Farms Wind in Gratiot County.
It’s Consumers Energy’s fifth wind project and further develops the next generation of energy for Michigan according to officials.
“We want to make sure we have energy that's safe and reliable, that's clean, but also importantly, is affordable to the homes and businesses who count on us,” said Brian Wheeler, spokesperson for Consumers Energy.
Heartland Farms Wind features 72 turbines that can provide 201 megawatts of energy, which Wheeler describes as some of the highest output levels since the company began to utilize wind energy in 2009. It’s enough to power abut 80,000 homes.
“We’re not burning anything, we're not releasing these carbon emissions into the atmosphere, so really, this gets us on the road to a zero-carbon, a carbon-neutral future that is much better for the entire planet,” said Wheeler.
Work on the $385 million project began a few years ago. According to Wheeler, Consumers Energy plans to close its remaining three coal plants, which are all located in Ottawa County, by mid-2025.
“We don't have any other wind projects that are on the books right now, but we are actively looking to develop more renewable energy, so what that means really is a lot of solar going forward,” said Wheeler. “We're working with developers and communities across the state to find solar locations where we can put in solar arrays that develop that clean energy that replaces coal and other fossil fuels.”
Wheelers says Heartland Farms Wind and other projects like it will help the company meet 90 percent of customers’ power needs through clean sources.
“It used to be years and years ago, we look at wind or solar as being better for the environment, but more expensive,” said Wheeler. “Today, because of the improvements in technology, those wind turbines are more effective than they ever been. We’re able to actually develop new projects, and over time, help keep customers bills low.”
