Utility shelves plan to build $750 million plant
1/30/2014JACKSON, Mich. — Consumers Energy says it’s holding off on building a $750 million, 700-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Genesee County and is buying a 540-megawatt plant in Jackson.
The Jackson-based CMS Energy Corp. unit announced the moves Thursday.
The Thetford Township plant near Flint would have opened in 2017 to serve about 445,000 people. The project was expected to create 30 plant jobs and 600 construction jobs.
The DPC Juniper LLC plant in Jackson employs about 20 people. Consumers Energy plans to pay $155 million and take ownership in 2016.
MLive.com reports that the plant’s owners sued the city of Jackson last summer, claiming it was improperly assessed and overtaxed. State tax records show DPC Juniper started withdrawing the lawsuit last week.