Consumers Energy announced Wednesday that it’s Karn coal-burning power plant near Bay City is closing after nearly 60 years of service.
The utility said with cleaner energy methods like wind and solar becoming cheaper, the less efficient coal burning plants are quickly becoming outdated.
Shannon Fisk is a managing attorney at Earthjustice, a non-profit environmental legal firm. He said Consumers plans to continue to invest in newer, cleaner energy.
“The utility plans to pursue 5,000 megawatts of solar power, and also increase their investments in wind and efficiency and energy storage, and they identified in their press release that these options are all the lowest cost option that they could pursue.”
Fisk said the Karn plant employs roughly 300 people. He said Consumers plans to help them and the community transition after the loss of jobs and taxes that the closure will bring.
He said the plant will retire by 2023.