Consumers Energy Helps Over 1,300 Nonprofit Organizations in Michigan to Lower Energy Costs

Food Banks, Churches Among Those Seeing $1.5M in Annual Savings
Dec 13, 2016 8:15 AM ET

JACKSON, Mich., December 13, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Over 1,300 places of worship and nonprofit organizations across Michigan will save at least $1.5 million on their energy bills next year, benefitting from a 4-year-old campaign by Consumers Energy to help them put more money toward helping those in need.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to help organizations that form the backbone of the Michigan communities we serve,” said Tim Sparks, Consumers Energy’s vice president of energy supply operations. “These nonprofits are making use of energy efficiency upgrades that we provide for free, eliminating any upfront costs and reducing their energy bills for years to come.”

Consumers Energy’s Nonprofit and House of Worship Initiative has been in place for four years, helping food pantries, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, churches, senior centers and many others. Consumers Energy provides energy efficiency upgrades as a free service to nonprofits and houses of worship, along with incentives for projects totaling over $975,000 in 2016.

“We are proud to have Consumers Energy as one of our partners in our fight to reduce hunger and food insecurity for children, families and seniors in our Michigan communities,” said Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest, based in Oak Park, which supports 250 emergency food providers in metro Detroit.

A look at the Consumers Energy’s work with nonprofits, by the numbers:

  • 1,328 – Nonprofits and houses of worship that Consumers Energy has helped since 2013
  • $2.375 million – Money spent by Consumers Energy on these energy efficiency projects
  • $1.57 million -- Annual energy savings for these organizations

Consumers Energy’s energy efficiency effort for nonprofit organizations has grown in each of the past four years, helped by collaboration with Michigan Interfaith Power and Light to identify houses of worship that can reduce their costs. Consumers Energy was able to help 285 houses of worship in 41 counties reduce costs this year alone.

These nonprofit organizations also are benefitting from energy efficiency upgrades that can help businesses and households to lower their energy bills. The company has helped its Michigan customers save over $1 billion through energy efficiency since 2009.

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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