Consumers announces buyer for hydroelectric dams — and they plan to continue operations Evan Sasiela, lonia Sentinel-Standard 1 day ago Consumers Energy has found a buyer for 13 hydroelectric dams in Michigan, and that buyer has committed to keeping the dams in opera-tion. <



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Confluence Hydro, an affiliate of Hull Street Energy, LLC, was announced as the prospective buyer for dams along the Muskegon River, Kalamazoo River, Grand River, Manistee River and Au Sable River on Sept. 9. The decision will reduce long-term costs for customers of Consumers Energy, according to the provider. It will also ensure the dams continue to operate safely and provide economic and recreational benefits for the communities they're located in, the company wrote in a re-lease.

Consumers hosted various community meet-ings, beginning in 2022, to determine the future of the hydroelectric dams. The company considered selling the dams, decommissioning them, or relicensing them. The majority of neighbors, officials said, were in favor of maintaining operations. ADVERTISEMENT DOWNLOAD NOW HERGAZE. <


Among the affected communities are lonia County, where the Webber Dam sits along the Grand River in Lyons Township, and Allegan County, where the Calkins Bridge Dam sits on the Kalamazoo River in Allegan. The 11 other dams include: • Muskegon River: Hardy, Rogers and Croton • Manistee River: Tippy and Hodenpy! • Au Sable River: Mio, Alcona, Cooke, Foote, Five Channels and Loud "We believe a sale of the dams is the best path forward for our customers," wrote Consumers President of Electric Supply Sri Maddipati. "This sale balances two important needs, to lower costs for (customers) while continuing to care for communities that depend on the dams. •r ADVERTISEMENT DOWNLOAD NOW HER<



"After numerous conversations with community members over the last three years to gather insights and feedback, we are confident this sale will preserve the reservoirs that hold the key to economic, recreational and community benefits at each of the dams." The dams, according to Maddipati, will be sold for $1 each - plus a 30-year agreement for Consumers to purchase energy from them. Confluence Hydro is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hull Street Energy, an investment firm that operates 47 hydroelectric facilities in North America, according to the release. Hull Street Energy is based in Bethesda, Maryland. "Safety has always been foundational to everything we do," wrote Confluence Hydro CEO Ed Quinn. "With decades of experience operating hydro facilities, we are committed to preserving and modernizing these important resources to maximize their contribution to the ADVERTISEMENT DOWNLOAD NOW HERIGAZE,


"We see extraordinary opportunity to leverage our combined strengths to build a best-in-class hydro company - one that protects communities, supports employees, mitigates risk and delivers reliable, clean energy for the future." <



Support Local News: Get unlimited access to our local coverage State and federal regulators must approve the sale, which could take 12-18 months, according to Consumers. Confluence Hydro plans to seek approval to renew the dams' federal operating licenses, set to expire beginning in 2034.


Consumers Energy will continue to own and operate the dams until the sale is com-plete. Community meetings with affected residents are set to take place this fall.