Plan Your Work, and then Work Your Plan

CMS Energy recently sat down with Ed Grice, President and General Manager of Boyne Mountain Resort of Boyne City, Mich., a CMS Energy client. We talked about the resort’s ForeverProject and their experiences working with our team to help achieve a more sustainable future.

CMS: Tell me about Boyne’s ForeverProject.

Grice: As a resort focused on enjoying the outdoors, we recognized the importance of minimizing our carbon footprint for the future of the passions we love. We took our first steps in 2020 and quickly built an organizing committee to review and set methodology and objectives. This project is about understanding the environmental impacts of our operations and developing an accountable plan to offset on-site greenhouse gases, reduce fossil fuel dependence and invest in renewable energy.

CMS: Where did you start?

Grice: In 2020 we upgraded the Menerga computer control system in our Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark. This change allowed us greater control of energy use through advanced system technology. The new system enabled energy cost savings and enabled us to operate more efficiently. From there, we started looking at the possibility of a solar array to power the resort’s 300-plus homes and condos, on-site electric vehicle charging stations and several other energy efficiency measures.

CMS: How did you decide to partner with CMS Energy?

Grice: Ironically, our past relationship with Consumers wasn’t very good. We had one event where a fuse tripped in a substation; it took over two hours to get a response and even longer to get it fixed. This happened during a convention with a full house! Since then, the relationship has done a 180. From senior leaders all the way to the folks on the ground, everyone is highly engaged and helpful. When we started this initiative, CMS was quick to jump in and took the lead to set the direction for the ForeverProject. They brought decarbonization knowledge and expertise that helped us map out a path that brought our ideas and goals to life. Plus, they’re great partners. When we started discussing the solar array, no one wanted to take it on. The CMS team brought ideas and enthusiasm and ultimately helped us get it done.

CMS: Your solar array recently launched; can you tell us more about that?

Grice: Our goal was simple – to use renewable power sources to meet a meaningful part of our overall energy needs. The finished product features 4,316 solar panels, each producing 410 watts of power. That comes to 1.7 megawatts – roughly enough to power all the homes and condos at the resort! And we added pollinators and native plantings to further improve the local ecology.

CMS: But it’s more than just solar, right?

Grice: Absolutely, our goal was a comprehensive effort aimed to help our resort become carbon neutral. Our plans rely heavily on renewable energy. In fact, the CMS team helps manage our renewable energy credits. CMS became a true partner in this endeavor; they listened to us and then gave us a blueprint to get to net zero by 2030.

CMS: Any advice for others in your shoes?

Grice: Finding the right partner was key to getting our program off the ground. Without that, we’d still be stuck at square one. CMS also brought innovative thinking – not just cookie-cutter ideas. They understand the possibilities in decarbonization and were able to help us evaluate alternatives. When you collaborate with great companies like CMS Energy that have parallel goals, you’re able to execute developmental projects like this to have a real impact. Working with this team, we expect to grow and expand our efforts to benefit both the environment and our business.

About NorthStar Clean Energy:

NorthStar Clean Energy helps companies with ambitious sustainability targets decarbonize through renewable energy solutions. Based in Michigan, NorthStar Clean Energy owns and operates over 1,500 megawatts of generating capacity nationwide —including solar installations in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, wind assets in Texas and Ohio, natural gas and co-generation facilities in Michigan, and biomass plants in Michigan and North Carolina— and has a development pipeline of 1 gigawatt of renewable energy. NorthStar Clean Energy plans to convert its only coal-fired power plant, the TES Filer City Station co-owned with Tondu Energy, to a 60 MW biomass-fueled plant capable of capturing 500,000 tons of Carbon Dioxide annually, one of the first bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (“BECCS”) projects under development in the United States. Founded in 1987, NorthStar Clean Energy is a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS).

Media Contact: 

Suzanne Vincent 
Marketing Director 
Suzanne.Vincent@nsce.com