JACKSON, Mich., Sept. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy is reinvigorating Michigan's economy as it works to provide more renewable energy for customers. 

The company has signed a contract with Southfield-based Barton Malow Company for engineering, procurement and construction services at its $255 million Cross Winds Energy Park, a 105-megawatt wind farm in Tuscola County.  The contract is subject to approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission.

"Hiring a well-respected Michigan company to help us generate more clean energy for customers makes sense for our company and for the state," said Jim Pomaranski, Consumers Energy's vice president of major projects and construction. "The Pure Michigan Business Connect initiative is providing quality products and services at competitive prices. In turn, that spending is funding real projects, creating real jobs and making a real difference for Michigan."

About 150 construction jobs are expected to be created when Cross Winds begins construction later this year and into 2014 in Tuscola County's Akron and Columbia townships.  The contract includes designing, engineering and constructing the park's turbine foundations, access roads, an operations and maintenance building; erecting the park's 62 wind turbines; and building the infrastructure that connects the turbines to the electrical grid. Barton Malow has previous experience building wind farms in Michigan. An independent economic study estimated that construction of Cross Winds will generate direct and indirect output in Michigan valued at $160.2 million.

Cross Winds is the company's second wind farm. The Lake Winds Energy Park began operating near Ludington in November 2012.  Consumers Energy is Michigan's leading supplier of renewable energy with about 8 percent of the electricity supplied to customers coming from Michigan-based renewable projects. Completion of Cross Winds by late 2014 will help the company meet Michigan's renewable energy standard, which requires 10 percent of the state's energy supply to come from renewable sources by 2015. 

Consumers Energy recently pledged to increase spending with Michigan-based suppliers of goods and services by $1 billion over five years through the Pure Michigan Business Connect initiative.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in Rule 3b-6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 175 of the Securities Act of 1933, and relevant legal decisions. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of the risk and other factors detailed from time to time in CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.  Forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION" and "RISK FACTORS" sections of CMS Energy's Form 10-K and Consumers Energy's Form 10-K each for the year ended December 31, 2012 and as updated in CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's Forms 10-Q.

CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION" and "RISK FACTORS" sections are incorporated herein by reference and discuss important factors that could cause CMS Energy's and Consumers Energy's results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

SOURCE Consumers Energy

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