LUDINGTON ? A $250 million wind farm was dedicated last week near Ludington that will generate up to 100 megawatts of energy from 56 wind-generation turbines.
The Lake Winds Energy Park is Consumers Energy?s first wind park and is located in Riverton and Summit townships in Mason County. The utility?s investment in Lake Winds was made possible by Michigan?s energy reform law.
Consumers Energy is the largest supplier of renewable energy in Michigan. The utility is on track to meet a requirement in Michigan?s energy law that by 2015, 10 percent of the electricity it provides to its 1.8 million electric customers will come from renewable sources in the state.
?Completion of this project puts Consumers Energy on its way to meeting the 2015 requirement,? said David Ronk, Consumers Energy director for transactions and resource planning. ?The addition of Lake Winds to the company?s portfolio of renewable sources increases its renewable supply to 7 percent of retail sales. The completion of other projects under development will increase our renewable supply to 8 percent by the end of 2012.?
Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan?s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
