Dive Brief:
- Consumers Energy plans to close and demolish three coal-fired plants in the state starting in April 2016.
- The closure of the plants—J.R. Whiting, J.C. Weadock and B.C. Cobb—is tied to a $454 million bond issue before the Michigan Public Service Commission.
- Consumers originally planned to suspend operations at the three plants, but has since indicated it will not invest in new technology needed for the plants to comply with EPA regulations.
Dive Insight:
Consumers can't sell the power plants as there is simply no market for coal plants out there. Electricity demand growth has stagnated in the state and Consumers is building a new natural gas plant, so it saw little need to keep the plants open.