AMEC, an international engineering and project management company, has extensive experience with power plant decommissioning.
"We’re pleased to retain AMEC for this major project given its experience and resources to help us plan the retirement of power plants that have served our customers so well for more than half a century," said Dennis Dobbs, vice president of generation engineering and services for Consumers Energy. "As part of our commitment to Pure Michigan Business Connect, we’re pleased to award this project to a company with an established Michigan presence."
The power plants being decommissioned have an average operating life-span of more than 60 years with seven operating units, which Consumers Energy plans to retire by April 2016. The units are located at the Karn/Weadock complex in Essexville; the J.R. Whiting site in Erie; and the B.C. Cobb site in Muskegon.
Collectively, the seven units being decommissioned represent approximately 950 megawatts of electric capacity. Consumers Energy recently announced its plan to purchase a 540 megawatt natural-gas power plant in Jackson to partially offset the planned retirements.
"AMEC will provide sound technical, engineering, and managerial talent to help ensure the best value is delivered to our customers," said Keith Welcher, Consumers Energy’s decommissioning program manager.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
