CMS ENERGY CORP 10-Q form for quarterly period ended 2024-03-31, page 17: Since 2005, Consumers has reduced its sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions by more than 95 percent and its NOx emissions by nearly 88 percent. Consumers began tracking mercury emissions in 2007; since that time, it has reduced such emissions by nearly 93 percent.
In November 2023, Michigan enacted the 2023 Energy Law, which among other things:
•raises the renewable energy standard from the present 15-percent requirement to 50 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035; renewable energy generated anywhere within MISO may be applied to meeting this standard, with certain limitations
•sets a clean energy standard of 80 percent by 2035 and 100 percent by 2040; low- or zero-carbon emitting resources, such as nuclear generation and natural gas generation coupled with carbon capture, are considered clean energy sources under this standard
•enhances existing incentives for energy efficiency programs and returns earned on competitively bid PPAs
•creates a new energy storage standard that requires electric utilities to file plans by 2029 to obtain new energy storage that will contribute to a Michigan target of 2,500 MW based on their pro rata share
•expands the statutory cap on distributed generation resources to ten percent
Consumers is required to file updates to its amended renewable energy plan before or in November 2024 and its Clean Energy Plan before or in 2027. Together, these updated plans will outline a path to meeting the requirements of the 2023 Energy Law by focusing on increasing the generation of renewable energy, deploying energy storage, helping customers use less energy, and offering demand response programs to reduce demand during critical peak times.
Consumers' Clean Energy Plan details its strategy to meet customers' long-term energy needs and was most recently revised and approved by the MPSC in 2022 under Michigan's integrated resource planning process. The Clean Energy Plan outlines Consumers' long-term strategy for delivering clean, reliable, resilient, and affordable energy to its customers, including plans to:
•end the use of coal-fueled generation in 2025, 15 years sooner than initially planned
•purchase the Covert Generating Station, a natural gas-fueled generating facility with 1,200 MW of nameplate capacity, allowing Consumers to continue to provide controllable sources of electricity to customers; this purchase was completed in May 2023
•solicit up to 700 MW of capacity through PPAs from sources able to deliver to Michigan's Lower Peninsula beginning in 2025
•expand its investment in renewable energy, adding nearly 8,000 MW of solar generation by 2040
Under the Clean Energy Plan, and as enhanced by the 2023 Energy Law, Consumers earns a return equal to its pre-tax weighted-average cost of capital on permanent capital structure on payments made under new competitively bid PPAs with non‑affiliated entities approved by the MPSC.
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, CMS ENERGY CORP 10-Q form for quarterly period ended 2024-03-31, page 18: Presented in the following illustration is Consumers' 2021 capacity portfolio and its future capacity portfolio under its Clean Energy Plan, which does not yet incorporate the requirements of the 2023 Energy Law. This illustration includes the effects of purchased capacity and customer programs and uses the nameplate capacity for all energy sources:
1    Does not include RECs.
2    Includes energy waste reduction, demand response, and conservation voltage reduction programs.
3    These amounts and fuel sources will vary and are dependent on a one‑time competitive solicitation to acquire up to 700 MW of capacity through PPAs from sources able to deliver to Michigan's Lower Peninsula beginning in 2025.
In addition to Consumers' plan to eliminate its use of coal-fueled generation in 2025, CMS Energy and Consumers have set the net‑zero emissions goals discussed below.
Net-zero methane emissions from natural gas delivery system by 2030: Under its Methane Reduction Plan, Consumers plans to reduce methane emissions from its system by about 80 percent, from 2012 baseline levels, by accelerating the replacement of aging pipe, rehabilitating or retiring outdated infrastructure, and adopting new technologies and practices. The remaining emissions will likely be offset by purchasing and/or producing renewable natural gas. To date, Consumers has reduced methane emissions by more than 25 percent.
Net-zero carbon emissions from electric business by 2040: This goal includes not only emissions from owned generation, but also emissions from the generation of power purchased through long-term PPAs and from the MISO energy market. Consumers expects to meet 90 percent of its customers' needs with clean energy sources by 2040 through execution of its Clean Energy Plan. New technologies and carbon offset measures may be used to close the gap to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
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Question: How does CMS Energy Corp plan to achieve its long-term clean energy goals for the quarter ended March 31, 2024?
Answer: Consumers Energy’s Clean Energy Plan outlines a comprehensive strategy to achieve its long-term sustainability and clean energy objectives. The plan includes a significant transition away from coal, aiming to cease coal-fueled generation by 2025, which is 15 years earlier than initially planned. To meet customer demands and support environmental goals, the company intends to expand its renewable energy portfolio, targeting the addition of nearly 8,000 MW of solar energy by 2040. This would bring renewable capacity to 30% by 2025, 43% by 2030, and 61% by 2040. Additionally, Consumers plans to deploy substantial battery storage, starting with 75 MW by 2027 and increasing to 475 MW by 2040. To ensure reliable energy delivery, Consumers has purchased the Covert Generating Station, a 1,200 MW natural gas-fueled facility, and will also secure up to 700 MW of capacity through competitively bid Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) beginning in 2025.