CMS Energy Corporation.
CMS.US | Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
CMS Energy Corporation is a holding company primarily engaged in the energy business. Its principal subsidiary, Consumers Energy Company, is a public utility that provides electricity and natural gas to customers in Michigan. Consumers Energy generates, purchases, and transmits electricity, and also...Show More
Better Health for All
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CMS Energy's core services, electricity and natural gas, are essential for health, enabling heating, cooling, and medical equipment. The company offers programs like the Income Qualified Health & Safety Program to improve indoor air quality and provide other health benefits
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, and is eliminating coal use by 2025 to improve air quality
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. The company does not derive revenue from products with direct negative health impacts. However, its Covert Generating Station has faced state fines
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and EPA "high priority" violations
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for exceeding air pollutant emissions (particulate matter, sulfuric acid, carbon monoxide) in 2024 and 2025
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, and is applying to raise emissions limits
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. Despite these significant externalities, the company has long-term goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040/2050
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and invests in renewable energy. The company demonstrates excellent risk transparency by disclosing limitations of its Critical Care Program for those on life support
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and by allowing public comment on proposed emissions limit changes
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. Its privacy policy uses industry-standard security measures
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, and it has experienced no material cyber, physical, or privacy incidents over the past three years, including for health data collected for programs like Critical Care
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.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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CMS Energy Corporation is an energy utility, not a financial institution. The 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value and its associated KPIs are designed to assess companies engaged in lending, insuring, moving, or storing money, and offering financial products. The provided evidence details the company's utility operations, energy assistance programs, and community contributions, but does not contain specific, quantifiable data points related to financial services or products. Therefore, all KPIs are deemed 'Not applicable' as the company's core business lies outside the scope of financial services evaluated by this rubric.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
40
CMS Energy's OSHA recordable incident rate was 1.17 in 2022, a decrease from 1.54 in 2021, with a target of 1.07 for 2023.
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This rate has decreased by 34% over the past decade.
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The company acknowledges the right of employees to associate freely and bargain collectively, supported by a Labor Rights Policy.
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It also monitors pay practices annually for competitiveness and potential bias.
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However, since 2000, the company has incurred $29,038,041 in penalties for employment-related offenses, including benefit plan administrator violations and employment discrimination.
5
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
0
CMS Energy's primary business operations involve electricity, natural gas, and renewable energy generation. These activities do not typically entail the sourcing of physical commodities that are subject to fair-trade certifications or are classified as high-risk materials such as conflict minerals or uncertified palm oil. Article 3 explicitly notes that the company's "primary business operations do not align heavily with fair trade principles."
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Honest & Fair Business
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CMS Energy provides multiple channels for reporting ethical concerns, including an anonymous helpline
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. However, there is no evidence provided regarding independent investigation processes for these reports.
Kind to Animals
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CMS Energy's Consumers Energy Foundation has awarded $500,000 for environmental conservation projects in 2023
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, 2021
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, and 2019
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. These funds supported initiatives such as restoring 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat in 2021
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and protecting habitats with $250,000 in 2019
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. The company also conducted a turtle rescue operation in 2023, relocating 56 hatchlings, including protected species, to native habitats
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, and facilitated the release of orphaned fawns onto company land in 2020
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. Additionally, CMS Energy completed over 600 wildlife mitigation projects by January 2025
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, protecting over 90% of its substations from animal interactions
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.
No War, No Weapons
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CMS Energy's core business is energy generation and distribution, with no significant military involvement, military contracts, or weapons manufacturing.
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The company has no exposure to controversial weapons and no defense assets to divest.
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However, CMS Energy lacks active peace-building initiatives.
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Planet-Friendly Business
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CMS Energy reported at least 11 environmental compliance violations in 2024, including an EPA fine
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and 10 instances of excess carbon monoxide emissions,
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with particulate matter emissions almost double permitted limits,
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leading to a proposed state fine in 2025.
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The company has set a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target for its entire business by 2050,
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with an interim goal to reduce customer emissions by 20% by 2030 from 2020 levels,
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and a net-zero carbon emissions target for its electric business by 2040,
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but these targets are not explicitly stated as SBTi-aligned.
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The company uses the TCFD Index
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and has published a Climate Change Risk, Vulnerability, and Resiliency Report.
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It has an established climate justice initiative, conducting environmental justice analysis,
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using MiEJScreen scores for project prioritization,
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and providing over $125 million in customer assistance in 2023.
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A transition plan for employees and communities affected by coal plant retirements includes offering new positions and engaging in communication.
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The company's operations and supply chain are not connected to forest risk commodities.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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No cultural appropriation incidents were reported in the provided articles. The Consumers Energy Foundation awarded $1.5 million in grants for community projects, environmental restoration, and conservation in Michigan counties
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,
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,
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. CMS Energy also announced a study in 2022 to assess the impacts of its river hydro facilities on communities
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and highlights its cultural values for community engagement
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. However, specific quantifiable data for other KPIs, such as the number of formal partnerships, percentage of revenue reinvested, details on cultural impact assessment protocols, local employment ratios, or grievance mechanisms, were not provided.
Safe & Smart Tech
0
CMS Energy adheres to state, federal, and industry regulations, and collaborates with regulatory bodies to ensure data protection and privacy.
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The company has a publicly available privacy statement outlining its data handling practices.
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Its comprehensive security framework covers cyber and physical security, emphasizing a robust security culture, employee training, and incident response.
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The Board of Directors oversees cybersecurity risks with at least biannual updates, and two Board members have extensive industry experience in cybersecurity.
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The company's enterprise risk management program identifies significant risks and informs mitigation strategies, with annual Board reviews.
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The company generally avoids extensive user tracking, focusing on operational data for energy distribution.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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CMS Energy's Consumers Energy subsidiary achieved a waste diversion rate of 92% in 2024
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and 91% in 2023,
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with a goal to maintain at least 90% through 2027.
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The company has implemented over 10 waste reduction initiatives, including recycling soil and construction materials, establishing centralized waste and recycling stations, forming Green Teams, and fighting invasive species.
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These efforts led to exceeding a five-year goal to reduce waste to landfills by 35% from a 2017 baseline,
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achieving a 44% reduction a year ahead of schedule.
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In 2023, CMS Energy generated 65 US/Short Tons of hazardous waste,
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with its NorthStar Clean Energy subsidiary generating 0 tons,
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supported by a strategy to minimize generation.
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The company has received no regulatory fines for waste disposal in the past three years.
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CMS Energy has set ambitious, company-wide waste reduction targets with specific timelines, such as diverting a minimum of 90% of waste from landfills from 2023 through 2027.
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