Big changes coming to a major company near the lakeshore. Consumers Energy announced they will stop burning coal by 2040.
The J.H. Campbell Plant in West Olive is the largest coal plant Consumers Energy runs in this state. It provides power to a million customers and hundreds of jobs to others. So when officials decided to phase out the main operations of this plant, many were left wondering, what's next?
"We generate about 23% of our power from coal plants," Roger Morgenstern, Consumers Energy spokesperson, said.
"What we're looking to do is increase our renewables by 40% by 2040 so we can help fill that gap."
These aren't the first steps the company has taken toward energy efficiency. Morgenstern says Consumers has already invested $1 billion to reduce emissions out of their stacks.
"We're removing mercury, we're removing nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, so it does not get up in the air," he said.
But what does this news mean for the hundreds that depend on a paycheck from here?
"How long it will run and how long that transition will happen is still going to be determined," Morgenstern said.
Officials say in June they will file a plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission to figure out a timeline for the next 5,10, and 15 years out.
"We want to make sure our employees are taken care of and our communities continue to thrive after this plant's gone."
The J.H. Campbell Plant first opened in 1962, it employs roughly 300 people.