Consumers Energy today (March 20) announced two major milestones in its commitment to renewable energy. Michigan's largest energy provider is expanding its renewable offerings with the launch of "Green Giving", a one-of-a-kind program that allows everyone to contribute to our renewable energy future.
"Green Giving" saves low-income customers money and provides access to the financial and environmental benefits from renewable energy projects with the help of community sponsored dollars. It means that regardless of income or location, customers can count on Consumers Energy and each other to be part of our clean energy future.
Here's how it will work:
- Consumers Energy builds renewable resources - large scale wind or solar projects.
- The company utilizes sponsored dollars from those wanting to help fund low-income customer subscriptions tied to our projects.
- Consumers Energy, alongside our community-based organization agency partners, enrolls eligible customers to subscribe to renewable resources.
- Those resources then generate clean electricity, which is sold back into the grid.
- Then, the value we receive from renewable energy sales, gets passed along to those customers enrolled in "Green Giving" through a direct line-item credit on their bills of $10-$20/month.
"Green Giving is a game-changer! We're thrilled to empower our most vulnerable customers with access to clean energy and cost savings. Together, we're making Michigan's renewable energy future brighter for everyone," said Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy's vice president of customer experience.
Whether you're a homeowner or a renter, anyone with income of 200% or lower of the federal poverty level who has already been deemed eligible for other qualifying Consumers Energy programs will be enrolled or will have the opportunity to enroll.
In addition to this new option for low-income residents, Consumers Energy, today also announced its new cost-effective option for residential customers of any income level wanting to help protect the planet.
Consumers Energy's robust and economical Residential Renewable Energy Program, now available to homeowners, allows customers to choose their commitment level. Utilizing our user-friendly website tool, customers can elect how much renewable energy they'd like to subscribe to based on the amount they elect to pay each month. Consumers Energy then determines credits in return, based on renewable energy generated and sold back into the grid.
The new Residential Renewable Energy Program follows the successful launch of our Solar Gardens program, which this year has peaked in participation since launching in 2016, as Consumers Energy continues to grow interest in renewable energy.
The expansion of these two milestone renewable energy offerings are key components in Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan announced in 2021, which is the company's commitment to protect the environment for future generations.
By 2040, clean, renewable fuel sources will comprise more than 60 percent of our electric capacity. Combining that growth with advances in energy storage and customer energy efficiency will allow Consumers Energy to meet customer needs and ultimately save customers money through a variety of programs like these.
Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source in 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers' energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.
