The parent company for Michigan’s largest energy utility has proposed two new natural gas-fired power facilities outside of Flint and Bay City.

On March 11, CMS Energy, parent company of Consumers Energy, announced plans to build two new gas-fired power plants capable of collectively generating 1.5 gigawatts of power.

In Bay County, the company plans to repurpose existing units at the D E Karn Power Station near Bay City to build one of the power plants. The plant’s coal-fired units closed in June 2023.

CMS Energy also plans to build another power plant in Thetford Township, in Genesee County, north of Flint.

Combined, the plants would generate enough power for over 1 million homes. The company has not yet disclosed how much air pollution the plants could generate.