Consumers Energy Boosts Energy Value And Provides $7.3 Million In Energy Efficiency Incentives To Commercial And Industrial Customers In The Fourth Quarter Of 2012 And Exceeds Year-End Goals

JACKSON, Mich., March 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy's Business Solutions program awarded $7.3 million in incentives in the fourth quarter of 2012 to help Michigan commercial and industrial customers become more energy efficient.

Statewide, these projects are saving the 1,695 participating customers an estimated $9.5 million in energy costs each year.  The annual energy savings are:  71.7 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and more than 236,500 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) of natural gas.

That's enough energy saved to serve nearly 8,700 residential electric customers and about 2,800 residential natural gas customers.

In 2012, Consumers Energy awarded $17.4 million in incentives for energy efficiency measures, saving the participating customers about $20.8 million in energy costs each year. The total annual energy savings for customers are 151.4 million kWh and 594,000 Mcf of natural gas. That exceeds Consumers Energy's Business Solutions goal for 2012, which was to work with customers and help them save 147 million kWh and 547,000 Mcf.

Business Solutions is Consumers Energy's energy efficiency program for commercial and industrial customers.  It is part of the company's comprehensive energy efficiency program, which was launched to help customers save energy and save money and meet the aggressive standards set in the 2008 energy law.

"Working with customers to help them become more energy efficient and save money is part of Consumers Energy's promise to Michigan. These incentives are part of our promise to provide long-term value to our customers," said Fred Alatalo, the utility's business energy efficiency operations director. "The Business Solutions program helps our business customers reach their goals of becoming more energy efficient and reducing their operating expenses.  By working with customers and providing these incentives to help them lower their costs, we're helping many Michigan businesses strengthen their competitive position."

A recent Consumers Energy webinar provided details on how commercial and industrial customers may participate in the Business Solutions program. The webinar is archived on the company's website and those interested in viewing or downloading the hour-long presentation may find it at www.consumersenergy.com/business.

Customers also may learn more about energy efficiency programs for businesses and residential customers plus how to apply for incentives by visiting www.consumersenergy.com.

Here's a list of some of the customers that received energy efficiency incentives in the fourth quarter of 2012:

Bay County

-- Bay County Medical Facility, Essexville: $29,160 for the installation of a gas energy management system, saving 4,352 Mcf annually.

Calhoun County

-- Starr Commonwealth, Albion: $9,134 for two energy efficient lighting projects, saving 110,349 kWh annually.

-- Albion Economic Development Corp., Albion: $3,062 energy efficient lighting with occupancy sensors, saving 42,425 kWh annually.

-- Marshall Public Schools, Marshall: $5,130 for installing a high-efficiency water heater, saving 137 Mcf annually.

Genesee County

-- Koegel Meats, Inc., Flint: $2,662 for two efficient lighting projects, saving 25,243 kWh annually.

Jackson County

-- Baker College of Jackson: $37,100 for HVAC upgrades, an energy management system, efficient lighting and other upgrades, saving 359,686 kWh and 4,452 Mcf annually.

Kalamazoo County

-- Fabri-Kal Corp., Kalamazoo: $12,000 for a compressed air energy audit, saving 499,200 kWh annually.

Kent County

-- GRL Properties, LLC, Grand Rapids: $26,400 for efficient lighting, saving 367,760 kWh annually.

-- City of Grand Rapids: $40,581 for installing a VFD on a water pump, saving 507,269 kWh annually.

-- Agropur, Inc., Wyoming: $18,727 for efficient lighting, saving 327,800 kWh annually.

Macomb County

-- Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Harrison Township: $18,353 for an energy management system, saving 33,671 Mcf annually.

Midland County

-- MidMichigan Health, Midland: $118,640 for energy efficient air conditioning systems, chillers and geothermal heat pumps, saving 480,309 kWh annually.

Ottawa County

-- Walter's Gardens, Inc., Zeeland: $20,696 for efficient lighting, saving 338,577 kWh annually.

-- Saturn Electronics and Engineering, Coopersville: $36,507 for efficient office lighting, saving 456,345 kWh annually.

Shiawassee County

-- Owosso Public Schools: $40,724 for installing a centralized energy management system, demand control ventilation, and boiler water controls, saving 10,723,304 kWh and 8,924 Mcf annually.

-- Memorial Healthcare, Owosso: $1,050 for high efficiency HVAC, saving 19.4 Mcf annually.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information regarding Consumers Energy, access our website at: www.consumersenergy.com or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan

SOURCE Consumers Energy