The Lansing Board of Water and Light is releasing a new plan to increase its use of renewable energy.
The BWL has set a goal of delivering 50 percent of its power from clean energy sources in Michigan by 2030. The utility operates a mix of fossil fuels such as natural gas, and some renewables, including wind and solar.
BWL General Manager Dick Peffley says its new plan calls for carbon neutrality by 2040.
“So, if we put out a megawatt of energy from one of our (natural) gas plants, then it means that we put out a megawatt of energy to offset that from our clean energy (sources), so that the net total is zero,” said Peffley.
Peffley says the BWL is on track to phase out coal by 2025. Its Eckert Power Station, dominated by its triple smokestacks near downtown Lansing, will go offline at the end of this year.
