JACKSON – Consumers Energy has reached

power purchase agreements with independent developers for more than 240

megawatts of new Michigan-based renewable energy capacity.

The agreements support Consumers Energy’s Balanced Energy Initiative

which is a comprehensive 20-year plan to meet the needs of its 1.8 million

electric customers with a balanced energy portfolio, including energy

efficiency, renewable energy and customer demand management.

“Consumers Energy’s agreements to purchase power from four new

renewable energy projects in Michigan are another step forward to a clean

energy economy,” said Gov. Jennifer Granholm. “These projects will

help power Michigan homes and businesses, build markets for our growing

wind manufacturing industry and create jobs.”

The power purchase agreements are for 20 years and have been submitted

for approval to the Michigan Public Service Commission. The new renewable

energy projects are:

John Deere Wind Energy, based in Johnston, Iowa, will develop its

Michigan Wind 2 farm in Sanilac County. This wind project will provide

90 megawatts of renewable energy capacity to Consumers Energy beginning

in 2012.

John Deere Wind Energy will develop its Harvest II Windfarm project in

Huron County. This wind project will provide 59.4 megawatts of

renewable energy capacity to Consumers Energy beginning in late 2012.

John Deere Wind Energy and Great Lakes Wind, LLC, will develop their

Blissfield Wind Energy project in Lenawee County. This wind project

will provide 81 megawatts of renewable energy capacity to Consumers

Energy beginning in late 2012.

Waste Management Renewable Energy, based in Houston, will develop an

additional landfill gas electric generation facility at its Pine Tree

Acres landfill near Richmond in Lenox Township, Macomb County. The

project will provide 12.8 megawatts of renewable energy capacity to

Consumers Energy beginning in 2012.

“Consumers Energy is pleased to continue its progress on a balanced

energy supply by adding more renewable energy capacity to our portfolio.

These projects create positive local economic benefits, including jobs. We

will continue to work with the Michigan Public Service Commission on moving

forward with a balanced energy supply to serve our customers and benefit

the environment,” said John Russell, president and chief executive officer

of Consumers Energy.

The power purchase agreements support Consumers Energy’s plan to

increase its renewable energy supply portfolio to 10 percent by 2015 to

meet the requirements of Michigan’s energy reform law.

Consumers Energy is the largest supplier of renewable energy in

Michigan. More than 4 percent of the power that Consumers Energy supplies

to customers comes from renewable sources based in the state. Energy from

the four new projects will bring the total expected supply from renewable

sources to over 6.2 percent of Consumers Energy’s retail electric sales.

Once ready for construction, the new wind projects are each expected to

create between 150 and 200 construction jobs.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides

natural gas and electricity to more than six million of the state’s nearly

10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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