Consumers Energy is planning to work with 19 homeowners in Michigan to produce electricity from solar panels next year.
Since 2010, the company has signed more than 200 contracts with owners of homes and businesses to help generate electricity from this renewable source, said, Tim Sparks, vice president, Consumers Energy’s energy supply operations.
Nineteen residential projects were finalized in 11 counties including Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton (2), Genesee, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Jackson (3), Kent (4), Newaygo, Ottawa (2) and Shiawassee (2).
The projects are expected to provide energy directly into the electric grid, once the operation starts.
Consumers Energy has set a target of using solar and wind energy for 10 percent of the electricity it supplies, by the end of the year. Its second wind farm, Cross Winds Energy Park, will open soon.
The company will accept more applications from customers interested in adding solar-powered generating systems and choose more homes and businesses to produce solar energy into 2015.
Consumers Energy is the subsidiary of CMS Energy, providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Recently, Consumers Energy was in news for organizing the Coney Challenge in Jackson.
Almost 600 coney dogs were consumed up by 20 teams of four people each in a 20-minute interval, collecting $7,300 for the United Way of Jackson County.
The event was started about 10 years ago by an executive that had a love for coneys.