We don’t have grandchildren yet. But my husband and I are at the life stage when the thought of grasping a little hand to head out for a bike ride, a beach adventure or an ice cream is starting to seem real.
I have a simple hope for all of us in Michigan. When we look into the eyes of our grandchildren and they ask about climate change, I want us to be able to say, “that’s something we used to worry about.”
We all know that businesses can be a force for good, but that message isn’t always shared widely. Hopefully, that can start to change this week as close to 1,800 business, community and philanthropic thought leaders from across the state discuss the ways in which they are making their communities and our state a better place.
Patti Poppe likes to joke about the bumper sticker she once stuck on her Chevy Volt electric hybrid car: “I ♥ coal.”
These days, the sticker sits in Poppe’s office at Consumers Energy’s headquarters in her hometown of Jackson. It’s a symbol of her personal evolution on climate change — and the transformation she’s leading at Michigan’s largest natural gas and power provider.
Patti Poppe was interviewed Friday by JTV-TV in Jackson for winning the Athena Award from the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. The annual award is given to those who thrive in their field, devote time to the community and forge paths of leadership for women to follow.
HOLLAND — The energy landscape is changing and the energy industry is changing with it. The key is finding affordable solutions to bring people power.
That was the message Patti Poppe, president and CEO of CMS Energy, highlighted at the West Coast Chamber’s Wake Up West Coast breakfast on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Poppe spoke primarily about the transition from coal to clean energy at Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy.
In a speech this week to a large, business-friendly crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Consumers Energy President and CEO Patti Poppe presented an economic case for solar power, electric vehicles and moving past coal.
"I cannot overstate the significance of this news."
Multimedia with summary
Consumers Energy announced this week that it is seizing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape Michigan’s energy future. The energy provider is filing a Clean Energy Plan with Michigan regulators that outlines the path to using zero coal while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for Michigan’s families and businesses. The Clean Energy Plan details how the company will meet the state’s energy needs with increased use of energy efficiency and significantly more renewable energy.
